


The Last Of Us

by raeken_09



Series: The Last Of Us [1]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Post-Apocalypse, Anchors, Bisexual Liam Dunbar, Bisexual Theo Raeken, Blood and Injury, Caring Liam Dunbar, Chimera Theo Raeken, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Feelings Realization, Getting Together, Good Alpha Scott McCall (Teen Wolf), Good Theo Raeken, Grief/Mourning, Heavy Angst, Hurt Liam Dunbar, Hurt Theo Raeken, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Infection, Liam Dunbar is Theo Raeken's Anchor, Loss, M/M, Nightmares, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Protective Liam, Protective Theo Raeken, Self-Hatred, Slow Burn, Survivor Guilt, Torture, Weapons, Werewolf Hunters, Werewolf Liam Dunbar, Worried Liam Dunbar
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-04
Updated: 2019-03-08
Packaged: 2019-10-21 04:07:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 15
Words: 50,324
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17635730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/raeken_09/pseuds/raeken_09
Summary: A bizzare fungal infection breaks out all over the world, causing people to lose their minds and turn into infected monsters. The remainder of civilisation was quarintined in cities while soldiers kept a close watch on who goes in and out. The McCall Pack is fractured when it proved that the bites of the Infected were deadly to werecreatures. After a careless night out to just be normal teenagers Liam and Mason are bitten. So why does Liam live to see te morning?Or an AU where Liam is immune to the Infection and he has to reach a group called the Fireflies who have hopes of developing a vaccine to save humanity. And of course, Theo isn't letting him on this impossible journey alone.Inspired by The Last Of Us





	1. Left Behind

Liam watched the wreck of the once proud city -Sacramento, California - from where he sat perched on his window sill. He used his glowing eyes to inspect the streets below the 4 story building. He saw nothing new, which was unsurprising. Ever since the Outbreak of the Infected small town populations like Beacon Hills - what was left of it anyway - were forced to move to the main City where they are to be kept safe, guarded by soldiers in quarintine zones and high barbed fenches around the City. Everyone had a curfew and soldiers patrolled the streets armed to the tooth at night. No one knew the origin of the infection and so far there had been no cure. Liam's eyes landed on the yellow spraypainted graffiti on the building opposite this one.

   


   


> _If you fear the darkness, follow the light - join the Fireflies!_

That was something else that had happened amidst all the drama of losing your loved one's. The Fireflies. They were a rebellion against the soldiers, against quarintine zones amd basically everything else. Dead set on finding a cure to save humanity. They recrouted from all over it seemed - but it was impossible to fine one these days. The soldiers hadn't taken the rebellion well, not at all. Any Firefly is to be killed on site. Liam had always felt a tug on his heart as he thought about them. He'd like to join. Especially now... after the Pack...

Liam swallowed the lump in his throat. The Pack was ... fractured to say the least. When soldiers openly rained fire at people they merely suspected were infected, Scott vowed them all to hide their werewolf abilities. The soldiers would've instanty killed them if they saw any traits that weren't completely human. Despite all of that Deaton, Stiles and Lydia decided to join the Fireflies, sure that they could find a cure. Thry were closely followed by Derek and Braeden.

Melissa and Chris were back in France and opperated weapon dispatchments from there. To soldiers, to Fireflies... Liam wasn't sure. They had taken Nolan with them to join some guy Isaac that Liam didn't personally know.

Liam, Mason and Corey were all forced to join military training school where they were trained to handle weapons, survive and most importantly to kill Fireflies. Liam swallowed a lump in his throat. Mason and Corey had been gone for almost 2 months now, meaning they were dead. The military didn't care much for teen romance, but that didn't stop Mason of course. Their late night sneaking around on the rooftops and around the city to spend time together had finally come to an end it seems. Liam had snuck out as well, since they'd disappeard, to search the entire city for them with no luck. He was alone in this godforsaken place.

When the Outbreak had started Alec had charged at an Infected man who tried to attack them. He ended up being bitten and died shortly after, confirming Deaton's suspisions that the bite was lethal to any werecreature.

Scott and Malia were also part of the soldiers, but instead of needless bloodshed they found work in patrolling borders and helping refugees to find the city. Of course the guards checked them first to see if they were Infected or branded any Firefly markings, if that was the case it was a death sentence. But that was his Alpha, always finding a way to help.

Compared to Scott Liam felt utterly useless. Dr Geyer worked at the emergency clinic near the quarintine zone where he served to patch up any wounded soldiers while his mother assisted. Peter stayed behind in California, though that wasn't a surprise, not really. He wanted to do what he can to protect his daughter even though it was clear Malia can handle herself just fine. Liam wasn't sure what exactly he was doing now, propably some ellaborate scheme to score pills or weapons. Maybe he and Theo were in something together...

Liam let out a loud sigh and moved from his place at the window to flop down on his small bed. The military school sure wasn't about the comfort of its students, but hey what was confort when you had to fight to stay alive. He counted the cracks on his bare ceiling, thinking of Theo.

After the War Liam had discovered that the chimera had been sleeping in his car and tried to get his to take the guest bedroom in the Geyer household. Theo, being the stubborn asshole that he is, had declined each offer easily. He could take care of himself. Liam had kept a close eye on him still, had noticed how the chimera became thinner, how the dark circles under his eyes grew darker. He never got the chance to offer the guestroom again before the Outbreak started.

Liam had been frantic when they had to flee from Beacon Hills and had searched the preserve for the older boy, to no avail. Liam had lost Theo too it seemed. Theo had been his responsibility. And now he was propably dead.

Liam shoved his now wet face into his pillow and wailed softly. He was so alone. There was no signal in this - post-apocalyptic?- reality they now lived in. No way of staying in touch with anyone from the Pack. It was true, Liam knew it: The McCall Pack was no more. He cried himself to sleep.

 

* * *

" _Liam, wake up."_

_"Liaaaaam?"_

_"Liam!"_

Liam jerked awake and immedietly wolfed out, shoving the young man who had shaken him from his slumber to his bedroom floor.

"Mason?!" Liam whispered incredilously as he made eyecontact with his best friend. The young man grunted in affirmation and Liam offered his hand.

Mason took it and let Liam pull him to his feet, "Damn Li, thanks for the warm welcome." He winced and rubbed his back.

"What  _the fuck_ Mason?!" Liam looked his friend up and down. He seemed to be in perfect health. "I haven't seen you in... in..." he raked a hamd through his buzzed hair.

"45 days," Mason supplied helpfully and Liam let out a disbelieving laugh as he sunk down onto his bed. His legs were suddenly shaking.

"I thought you were dead Mase. I looked for you - for your body!" His voice broke at the end of the sentence.

"Li, I'm sorry. I'm here now." Mason stood looking a bit awkward.

"Where the hell were you?" 

Instead of answering Mason tugged at a chain around his neck until the dog tag that had been hidden beneath his shirt came into view. Liam's breath caught as he read the encryption on the small silver square.

 

 

   


   


> _**Firefly #40043** _
> 
> _**Mason Hewitt** _
> 
> _**12.02.2021** _

"No way!" Liam's anger disappeared for the moment as he gawked at his friend, "Dude! You're a Firefly now?!"

Mason seemed uncomfortable at receiving the attention and slipped the tag back into his shirt before smiling sheepishly, "Yeah, Corey too..."

"Woah..." Liam leaned back and inspected his friend in what little light his gloomy bedroom offered, "So all this time I thought you were dead... Instead you left me behind?" He whispered quietly.

Mason seemed shocked at the assumption, "No Li! I promise that's not how it went down!"

"Then what the hell happened to you guys?"

"I'll tell you everything Liam, I promise. But not here, somewhere safe. C'mon." Mason moved back to the window only to be stopped by Liam who clamped a hand down on his wrist.

"Somewhere safe? The Fireflies are really messing with your head Mase, there is no place like that left!" 

"That's not true! Marlene said-" 

"Marlene?!" Liam hissed cutting his friend off, "You've seen Marlene?!"

Marlene was the leader of the Fireflies. The one who'd started the whole organization. She had a lot of blood on her hands, but from the way the Fireflies worshipped her it seemed that she led a cause worth fighting for. Still, she was somewhat of a legend. Soldiers hunted her relentlessly and she had managed to illude all of them. So forgive Liam if he found it a little hard to believe that Mason had come face to face with the Firefly Queen.

"Yes! I have! Liam she's amazing! I'll tell you all about it, but c'mon we need to leave." Mason tried to free his wrist from Liam's grip but Liam didn't let go.

"I can't leave Mason! I have drills in the morning, you know, where they teach us to kill Fireflies?!" He shook his head at Mason's sudden stupidity, "Mason if they find you here with me they'll kill us both!"

"Hence why we're leaving, the streets are clear I checked. No soldiers," Mason slapped him on the back and a wicked grin split his face, "There's something I wanna show you."

Liam watched helplessly as Mason slipped from his window and started his decent to the ground that laid 4 stories below.

 _I'm an idiot._  

He followed suit.

* * *

 

"This is your fantastic plan? Win back my friendship by whooing me with  _the Mall?"_ Liam huffed as he looked around the abandoned building. It looked just like all of the others - like Hell. 

Garbage was strewn about and gathered at corners and Liam could hear the telltale pitter-patter of rat feet as they scurried away from the two boys. The smell of stale products filled the air along with a musty tang that made Liam wrinckle his nose in distaste. Broken glass from shop windows cracked under each step he took down the vandalised hallways. Mason's flashlight cut through the darkness and Liam used his own golden gaze to sweep the building. 

Aside from the rats, they were alone. The thought eased Liam's tension somewhat.

"Nah, you still love me and you know it!" Mason playfully bumbed him with his shoulder, causing Liam to stumble into a pile of garbage and sent a rat scurring across the floor. They let out an _euw_ in unison which caused them to laugh.

"No, nope. You need to redeem yourself as a best friend, since that spot is currently vacant," Liam fought the grin that tugged at his lips, "and by the way things are going ypu're not doing too well!"

"Ah! Okay, okay! I'll up my game then," Mason smirked proudly before leading Liam to a makeshift tent that sat in the middle of the mall oddly out of place.

"Is this Winston's?" Liam asked even though the scent answered the question for him.

"It  _was_ Winston's..." Mason supplied bitterly, "Let's see if the crazy old dude left us anything good." 

Liam walked to a makeshift nightstand next to the stretcher and fumbled through the various pamflets and papers there. Winston had been a soldier, but unlike the rest of the military who treated the boys like Liam who were in training like children, Winston had been nice to them. Always eager to tell them a story about the world outside the barbed walls of the city, granted they provided a strong enough drink to match his taste.

Liam shook is head fondly as he pulled a photo of a much younger Winston from the pile of papers on the nightstand. The man had gone on a routine "cleanup" around the outskirts of the city when the patrol had been ambushed. Winston had been killed in the crossfire. By a Firefly.

Liam swallowed and placed the photo back wherr he'd found it before turning to watch Mason who dug through a cooler that had propably stopped being cold months ago.

"Aha!" Mason happily shouted as he held a single bottle of rum in the air like it was some grand prize. Liam would've been eager as well, once upon a time at least. Now he didn't really see the appeal.

"Here, take a swig?" Mason tried to hand him the bottle but Liam declined by stepping back. "Fine..." Liam didn't miss the hurt look that flashed across his friend's face, "More for me then!"

He watched Mason take a gulp before pulling his face in disgust and tipping the bottle, letting the contents spill onto the floor. "For Winston..." he murmured.

Liam heaved a sigh before pushing passed Mason and out of the tent. "So, when does storytime start?" He tried to keep his tone of voice light, but he was growing very impatient. 

"Fine, it can start now I guess. But we gotta keep walking while I tell ypu though, I still got that thing I wanna show you." Mason shoved his hands into his pockets and led Liam further down into the Mall.

"Me and Corey met at the usual place like we always do for Date Night-"

Liam's snort cut him of ,"Date Night?"

Mason shoved him and it caused a giggling Liam to stumble.

"Yes Liam, Date Night! Now shut up!"

"Okay okay!" Liam swallowed the giggle bubbling in his throat.

"Anyway, we were back at the pickup zone and lost track of time I guess, before we knew it the soldiers were there making a drop off. The usual - weapons, medicine, food. That's beside the point though, we knew we had to leave if we didn't want to be caught but we were  _really_ into it and-"

"Euw, dude! Keep it PG please?" Liam faked a gagging motion. 

"I thought I told you to shut up, anyway, we didn't want to cut the night short so we moved to another spot. We'd been there before so we knew the patrol routes. We were safe. We found this really nice spot at the bottom of the docks that could let you lay down-"

Liam cleared his throat loudly.

"O, right keeping it PG, sorry. That's when Corey heard something. We didn't know what it was at the time but we were curious." Mason shrugged before kicking an empty spraypaint can across the floor, "We - meaning Corey - tracked the noise and found a man. He was hiding from the soldiers that patrolled the street behind an old fishing crate. He was injured, Corey caught the scent of blood." He led the way up some unmoving escalators.

They took a turn at the next stop and Mason pushed his way into a store :  _Creepy Critters._ Liam spared a moment to think that it was the worst name for a Halloween store. "Critters" kind of ruined the whole scary air. Mason disappeared among the shelves as Liam inspected a bottle of fake eyes and vampire teeth that were on sale once upon a time, his friend's voice echoed through the store.

"The guy waited for the patrol to pass before taking off, but he hadn't seen us. So, we followed him. And damn, did we run!"

Liam looked up when Mason grew silent and walked to where his friend had been just seconds ago. He wasn't at all surprised when Mason jumped out at him with a Zombie mask on his face, making gutting and hissing sounds. 

"Really, that's the best you can do? Werewolf, remember?" Liam rolled his eyes as Mason removed the mask with a fake wounded expression.

"You're no fun. What the hell had those people been feeding you? Damn..." he tossed the mask aside and resumed rummaging through the shelves.

"Long story short, we chased him into the sewers at the far end of the city- what now Liam?" He gave his friend an unimpressed look.

"N-Nothing! I didn't say anything..." Liam replied innocently.

"Yeah, but your face obviously has something to say!" Mason threw a bouncy ball in his direction making Liam yelp as he dodged.

"Its just... the sewers? Man thats some Date Night!" He grinned openly at his friend's offended look of horror.

"Hey! Beggars can't be choosers! Not like you would've done any better!"

Liam just laughed as Mason pelted him with another ball. 

"Stop interrupting me! This is the good part! We lost the guy pretty quickly once we entered the - ellaborate pipe system" Liam snorted at his friend who refused to say the word sewer again. "So we backtracked after a while when it became clear the guy knew the ellaborate pipe system better than we did. We didn't get far though. There were like, 14 armed guys waiting for us on the way back! All ready to fire..." Mason paused dramatically and Liam urged him to contimue with his eyes, "And man, they were Fireflies!"

"Woah!" Liam said for what felt like the 10th time that night, "All of them? How could there be so many right under our noses?" 

"Yup!" Mason happily confirmed, "they propably would've killed us if Marlene hadn't-"

"Wait wait wait! Hold up! Marlene?! She was here? In the city?" Liam asked disbelievingly.

"Yup!" Mason repeated happily, "She apparently never leaves the Firefly stronghold - yes Liam, we have a stronghold- except for emergencies. Apparently someone in the city owed her big time, and she came to collect the favour personally! She stopped her men from killing us and... well... we joined."

"What? Just like that? That's a bit anti-climatic." Liam sighed in disappointment.

"Well you didn't want me to get into the climaric stuff about me and Corey so..." Mason cracked a smile at Liam's horrified expression.

They continued to plunger the store. There was a Skelekte'seer' which Liam quickly found out worked like a magic 8 ball. All bullshit, but he still humored himself. "Are we gonna die tonight?" Liam asked before shaking the skull.

Liam let out an impatient growl when it gave him no answer. He heard a shout of "You have to turn it around Dumbass!" Followed by "And Dude that's just dark!"

Liam flipped the skull over " ** _It seems dreadfully unlikely"_** Liam read the prediction out loud. "Hear that Mase? I think we're good."

He wanted to ask the useless toy many more questions bit only one now that burned his mind. He wanted to ask, he really did. He was just too embarassed at the thought of Mason hearing him. Instead he thought the question.  _Is Theo Raeken still alive?_ He shook the skull and turned it over:  _ **It seems dreadfully likely.**_ Liam smiled softly, even though he knew this was stupid and didn't mean Theo was really alive. Still, it gave him a sort of comfort. 

Mason watched his friend curiously but decided not to press the matter, not now when their friendship was on such thin ice. Instead he opened the door leading from the store, "Hey Liam, hurry up!"

They entered the second story hallway again and Liam could see two cars that were once on display at the bottom as he leant over the railing. The cars were too far gone from being in a working state. Liam felt sad, he would've loved a car like that.

Mason picked up a brick and smiled at Liam in a challange, "You still competitive?"

Liam grinned an affirmative, "What do you have in mind?"

Mason threw the brick through the air into one of the cars. The loud crash made Liam cringe and he saw a deep dent in the car door.

"First one to take out all the windows of their car, wins." He grins like he'd just invented the best challange ever.

Liam huffed, "Yeah? And what does the winner get?"

"The choice is yours..." Mason mimiced an ominous voice and Liam snorted a laugh.

"Fine, the winner gets..." Ideas flew through Liam's mind but he settled on a simple option, one he needed above all else at the moment, "to ask the loser a question! And the loser has to respond with total honesty, na sarcasm!" He felt pleased as he saw uncertianty flash across Mason's face.

"Fine, bring it Dunbar!"

"You're going down Hewitt!"

Choas commenced as they raced for bricks, pushing each other down as they went. With each crack that sliced through the air Liam's enjoyment grew. He missed this. Being competitive. Being without worry. Being silly with his best friend.

Liam beat Mason by one window and rounded on his friend in truimph, "Ha! I am the Brick Master!"

"Yeah yeah, cool it down a bit Brick Master." Mason rolled his eyes playfully.

"So," Liam crossed his arms over his chest, "Why did you leave without saying goodbye?"

Mason shifted uncomfortably under his friend's gaze before walking to a maintanance door to their left, pushing it open. "Things weren't that simple Liam..." Liam opened his mouth to protest but Mason silenced him again with a wave, "C'mon we're almost there!"

"Almost where?" Liam petulantly asked before following.

"Okay, so you know how the soldiers always told us that only certian areas of the city has electricity, right?"

"Right..." Liam echoed suspiciously.

"Well, turns out there's power everywhere! You just have to... flip the switch." Mason moved from Liam's view to reveal a fuse box and nodded his head at the main switch, "The honor is all yours!"

"No way..." Liam moved forward and flipoed the switch. Immediatly lights flickered to life and Liam could hear the sounds of generators activating through the walls.

"Way!" Mason seemed pleased with himself, "Now let me show you the best part!"

He followed his eager friend and they pushed their way back into the main hallway of the mall. Liam gasped. Various Christmas lights caused lights to twinkle and reflect on the tiles, a rainbow of dancing colours. Several shops with advertising bords were lit, light flickering in an attempt to draw attention. The most captivating thing was a large carousel, paint peeling from multicoloured ponies that spun in a slow circle to a classic circus tune. 

"No way!" Liam gasped again and a wide toothed smile tore through his face. 

"Way! Do you like it?" Mason asked aprehensively.

"Yeah... I mean this," Liam laughed as he ran a hand through his hair and spun in a slow circle, trying to take it all in, "I never thought I'd ever see something like this again... I wished my mom could see, she'd love it..." he said wistfully.

"Well, bring her then!" At Liam's hopeful look Mason quickly added, "Another time though, tonight is strictly me redeeming myself as your bestfriend."

Liam gazed at the beautiful sight around him again.

_It's too good to be true... Something bad's gonna happen..._

Liam snapped his gaze back to Mason's feeling suddenly worried, "Won't the soldiers see the lights from outside and come to investigate?"

Mason waved his concern aside, "Nah, the outside lights don't work, only the ones inside." He sounded sure.

"How do you know?"

"Vicky told me!" At Liam's blank look he supplied, "The Firefly who showed this place to me."

 "Right, so the Fireflies... this really what you want Mase?"

"Yeah... Damn Liam I wish you could meet Marlene."

"Her name precedes her," Liam grumbled.

"See that, right there, is why you won't make a good Firefly," Mason stated simply. 

"What?" Liam felt defensive and offended at the remark.

"You have no faith Liam!" 

"F-faith?! In what? A woman I'd never met, some graffiti sprayed onto every other wall? Mason, the Fireflies kill people!"

Mason looked at his friend in pity, "Liam, there is no more Pack. In this world not even Scott could've blamed you if you killed someone."

"Would you?" Liam asked suddenly, "Kill someone, I mean?" 

Mason reeled back and cast his eyes down. Liam could hear his heartbeat speeding up. The few seconds it took for Mason to answer felt like hours, "Yeah, I would. To protect my people, to protect someone I love."

Liam felt the words sink in and he felt dreaded for a moment. Who was this person? Mason had never considered killing an option before...

"Now stop ruining the mood Liam, I got you something," Mason said softly and pulled a small book from his jacket and ha ding it to Liam.

"A pun book?" Liam's earlier uneasy was forgotten instantly and his eyes lit up.

"Yup, brand new. Snatched it from a store in another town before the Fireflies could see. I didn't want to read it without you, see? Its still wrapped.

Liam smiled at Mason, "Well, I hate to give in so easily but... you're officially my favourite person again!" 

"Thank god!" Mason slapped his hand to his chest in mock relief, though Liam guessed he was only partly pretending.

He tore open the book and began reading immediatly, "What's a pirates favourite letter?"

Mason scoffed, "Easy! Rrrrrr!" Liam laughed at his friend's terrible pirate impression before reading the anwer.

"Nah, it is the C matey!" 

"Oh, clever!" Mason tapped the side of his head before Liam moved to read the next one and he quickly stopped him. At Liam's questioning look he said, "I thought you could read like, one a day, to make the book mast longer ya know?"

Liam thought that this was strange but relented and slipped the book into the pockeg of his jeans. He looked up and his eyes flashed in excitement.

"Mason look! The escalator is working!" 

They hurried over and let it carry them to the top. Once they reached it Liam's jaw dropped again, "NO WAY!" he raced into the lit Arcade and moved among the machines trying to find one that works. 

"Damn..." he said under his breath. 

Mason stepped into the store, "They all busted?" 

"Yeah..." he sighed in disappointment.

"Hey Liam come over here!"

Liam curiously followed hid friend's voice into a video game store and he smiled softly. Letting his fingers trail along the covers. It brought back so many memories. Liam, Mason, Corey and Nolan all huddled in Liam's room playing Halo.

"You think they still have it?"

He didn't have to explain what he meant because Mason was already handing him what he'd been looking for. An old dusty cover.

Laim blew the dust away and they both sneezed. Halo! Liam smiled happily.

"Man I miss playing. Just us guys. Back then the worries like the Nemeton, hunters... they seem small now. I didn't give myself enough time to enjoy the little things." Liam ended sadly.

There was a faint sound of jazz music in the air and Mason slapped him on the shoulder to get his attention back to him.

"You hear that music? Let's go see where it comes from!"

"Mase, I really have to go back now... if the soldiers find that I snuck out... I've only got one more strike left in that place man," Liam sighed deeply, "I don't want to go, but I have to. If they kick me out I have no where to go."

Mason looked desperatly at his friend, "Nah come on Liam, just a few more minutes and-"

"No," Liam shook his head in confusion, "We can come back tomorrow, but I need to go now."

"I can't tomorrow Liam, or the day after that..."

Liam frowned, "Okay, whatever then we'll come back whenever it suits you."

"Liam," Liam picked up sadness - grief- from Mason's scent, "After today, there is no other days for us..."

"W-What do you mean?" Liam's strained voice ended in a growl.

Mason met his eyes with a heavy sigh, "Marlene is coming over again tomorrow, and she's shipping me out to another city to join Corey and the rest of our men there."

Liam swallowed a lump in his throat, "Which city?"

"I don't know. It's classified information..."

Liam let out a humourless laugh and saw Mason flinch, "Why am I here Mason?"

"Because I wanted to see you Li!"

"No- I mean why am I here, the mall? With all these grand gestures and gifts? It's not about me forgiving you is it?"

Mason shook his head slowly ,"No... this is me saying goodbye Liam..."

"Just like that?! You're leaving me behind again! Softening the blow with this trip?"

"I didn't come here to fight with you," Mason said quietly before turning and walking from the store,"I'm gonna see where that music is coming from while you cool down," he shouts over his shoulder as he leaves.

And boy, did Liam need to cool down. He smashed the remaining arcade maschines to bits and pieces, tore posters from the walls and kicked over shelves of games, causing them to clatter to the floor. 

_The sun. The moon. The truth._

_The sun. The moon._ _The truth._

_The sun..._

Liam repeated the mantra until he felt calmer. He felt so tired. Tired of everything changing, everyone leaving. 

He followed the sound of the music into an nearly empty clothing store. Bare manequines staring at him, faceless.

"What the fuck are you looking at?" He shoves a manequine and it tumbled to the floor in pieces. 

The music led him through a bookstore before he came to halt in the record store.

He removed the pick from the old jazz record that played softly, silencing it.

"Mase?"

"Such a waste, all of this music and no one will get to hear it ever again..." Mason answered sadly.

Liam came to a stop next to him, their shoulders brushing as he took in the wide array of records, tapes and CD's in the store. Band posters decorated walls and there was even a few guitars -broken - laying around.

"Yeah..."

"You still got that walkman I gave you last time?"

Liam nodded. 

"Well, pick a few tapes. Must be bored with what you have already."

Liam reluctantly agreed. He was bored with what he had. Instead of inspecting each tape carefully to reveal the artist, he just shoved them all into his bag blindly, mind still caught up on Mason's earlier statement.

He zipped it shut and turned to find Mason at the record player placing a new record in place before playing it.

Liam laughed at Mason's look of surprise at the country music that blared loudly through the store.

"Better than nothing I guess! C'mon!" He grabbed Liam's arm and hefted them both onto a piano, making silly dancemoves in Liam's direction.

"Mase I don't really feel-" 

"Nonsense , now come on! Loosen up a bit!"

Liam sighed in defeat and closed his eyes. He quickly felt the rythm of the music trumming through his veins. He felt so alive.

The friends dances in crazy, wild movements to the loud music without a care in the world. Liam felt happy for the first time in months.

The sudden realization caused him to stumble out of his rythm and he looked at Mason with wide, pleading eyes.

"Don't go!"

The record trailed off, the song just as finished as their precious moment. Mason watched Liam with equally wide eyes, swallowing nervously.

"Please! Don't leave me here!"

Mason opened his mouth to speak, but Liam never heard him answer.

He smelt them before hearing them. A rotton smell accompanied by something musty. It reminded Liam of mushrooms. He heard feet dragging unnaturaly across the floor, limping and stumbling.

"Mason..." Liam's worried look over his shoulder seemed to convey enough information and he pulled a gun from the small of his back. Liam would've been surprised but this wasn't the time.

A few infected stumbled into his view and Liam gasped in shock the same time the thing shrieked and lunged at them. Mason pushed Liam back yelling,"You can't fight them up come Liam! They'll bite you!"

Liam understood his logic and took off running next to his friend, Mason firing blind shots over his shoulder as they went. 

Liam knew next to nothing about Infected and was startled to discover they were  _fucking fast_. Liam's lungs burned by the time they reached a storage area.

"Up there, a window!" Mason shouted just as the Infected slammed into the door. Liam cursed and bent the bars holding it in place. They were  _fucking strong_ too. 

He ran and knelt by some crates stacked under the window, hands ready, "Mason! I'll give you a boost!"

Mason immediatly responded and let his friend lift him onto the crate just below the window. He rolled over," C'mon Liam! Hurry!" 

Liam backed up and braced himself for the jump. He leapt through the air, mind not registering the door breaking open and the Infected that pooled into the small room, until one grabbed his ankle and pulled him down to the ground, hard.

Liam gasped for breath as black spots danced at the end of his vision.

"Damn it!" Mason shot at the Infected near Liam, "Liam, you have to get up!"

At the sound of a bullet hitting the crate just inches from his head Liam was pulled back to the present. He leapt to his feet and roared threateningly before lunging into the fray himself. He clawed at musty fungal flesh as Mason's shot round after round anywhere he could see.

Liam finished the last one of and let it fall to the ground with a thump, before turning to help Mason.

His friend was on his back with an Infected man snapping at his neck. Liam growled as he pulled the man's head back by his hair, causing the thing to let out a feeble shriek before he slit it's throat open. It dropped next to Mason, dead.

Mason dragged himself into a sitting position with a blank look on his face and his hands shaking. Liam panted as he took in their surroundings with glowing eyes. They'd killed at least 7 Infected.

Liam let his eyes dim back to their human blue with a relieved sigh, "Man... that was close!" He let out a weak laugh.

Mason remained somber with a blank expression, turning his trembling hands over in his lap.

Liam's heart skipped a beat at the empty look on his bestfriends face, "Mase, we did it, we're fine..." he tried to reassure him but Mason kept looking at the floor with dull eyes.

"Liam, your arm." He said simply.

Liam looked down to his crimson coated arm and he frowned at it while vigirously wiping the blood away, trying to find the source.

His heart sank at what he saw. A deep, unmistakebly bleeding bite sound at the crook of his elbow.

He snapped his gaze back to Mason to simply raised his palm for Liam to see. A resigned look on his face.

Liam saw a partial bite between Mason's thumb and forefinger, but it was a bite nontheless...

* * *

 

Liam roared in anger, throwing supplies around the room, breaking and crushing stray items as he went. "Fuck!" He moved to punch the wall, bits of concrete falling onto the floor. "Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!" he repeatedly slammed his fist into the wall until all energy had been drained from him. Mason hadn't moved a muscle. Liam sank down next to his friend with another quiet "fuck" and continued to cry in frustration and fear. He'd been bitten. He was going to die, just like Alec did. And Mason... Mason was going to become one of those things... an Infected.

"There's some more stuff for you to break in that corner over there," Mason said in a monotone voice. It was like he was already dead, emotionless. It scared Liam even more.

"What are we going to do?" He asked through tears.

"Not much we can do at this point..." Mason sighed and glanced down at his gun that rested at his feet. He stretched out a pointed boot to give the gun a slight spin, "There's always Option 1..."

Liam followed his gaze to the gun while Mason kept talking, "Would be the easy way out. Painless. Quick."

Liam shook his head slowly, "I don't like Option 1..."

"Yeah, me neither."

"What's Option 2?" Liam asked hopefully. Mason met Liam's eyes for the first time since they realized they'd been bitten, "We wait it out. Make the most of our last hours together, I guess." Mason trailed off and Liam saw his eyes clouding with tears.

_He's never going to see Corey again..._  


Mason let out a wet chuckle, "You know it'll be kind of poetic, losing our mind together..."

Liam couldn't find it in him to respond with a laugh of his own, "What about an Option 3?"

Mason's face grew blank again, confirming what Liam already knew.

"Sorry, Liam. There is no Option 3..."


	2. Hello, Little Wolf

_Two Weeks Later_

Scott stood by the broken window of a skyscraper looking down at what remained of the once great city of Sacramento. All he could see was death. He felt its tight grip around his throat, felt it stinging his eyes as tears silently streaked across his face.

One night. 

He'd give himself one night to mourn his loss. All of his losses.

* * *

 

"Where is she?!"

Scott sighed and rubbed a hand along his tired face, "Peter..."

"Where is my daughter, Scott?!" Peter pushed passed him and Scott stumbled. He blinked black spots from the edges of his vision as he focused on the older wolf who paced around the living area.

"She's not here..." he said in a thin voice, "they wouldn't let me bring her body back passed the quarintine zone."

Peter's cold blue eyes snapped at him and he bared his fangs, "What happened?"

Scott sank to the floor and leaned his head against the wall. He was so tired.

"We were on border patrol. Just a quick check to set new markings, expand the territory..." he closed his eyes, "There were enough bandits to take on a whole patrol, we were outnumbered..."

"Outnumbered?!" Peter repeated disbelievingly , "You're a werewolf! An Alpha!"

"Not anymore..." Scott said quietly, "She saved my life. It was quick, she didn't suffer."

"Foolish girl!" Peter's voice cracked and he moved to sit beside Scott on the floor, warm tears flooding his gaze, "Why didn't you call me immediatly after?"

Scott swallowed heavily, "I-I had arrangements to make and not enough time to make them."

Peter stared at him with a knowing look, "Where?"

Scott lifted his sleeve wordlessly to reveal the gushing bite wound on his upper arm.

"There was an Infected bandit..." he supplied to the heavy silence and let his arm thud to the ground, "How did it come to this, Peter?"

The wolf remained silent and watched the once proud Alpha shake his head to clear it. 

"I need something..."

Peter frowned but couldn't deny the young Alpha something, not now. "You name it..."

"Marlene..." Peter locked gazes with Scott's tired one.

"You need a Firefly?" He asked in confusion.

"No, not just any Firefly. I need their leader. It has to be her."

"Why?"

Scott locked his jaw and stayed silent. Peter heaved a sigh when it became clear he wasn't getting an answer.

"She owes me a favour, she'll come if I ask."

Scott nodded as if he'd known this already, "How-," he cleared his throat, "How long will it take for her to get here?"

Peter glanced at him with sympathy and rose to his feet, "At least a week."

Scott nodded again, "I- I'll be dead by morning-"

"Scott-"

Scott stood as well and held a hand to silence Peter, "That means you'll have to do something else for me... I need you to make sure Liam gets to Marlene safely, and that she leaves the City with him."

Now Peter was even more confused, "Liam? Your angry beta?" 

Scott nodded and moved to a table that was covered with strewn papers.

"What would the Fireflies want with Liam?" Peter cocked his head to the side curiously.

"Almost three weeks ago Liam and Mason were bitten in the mall." Scott said simply, as if it answered all of the questions flashing through Peter's mind.

"T-three weeks ago?! And he- he's alive?"

"Mason's dead, but yes Liam survived. His bite healed and scarred over."

"Come on! That's not possible!" "Yeah, well... there was a time I would've had the same reaction if someone tried to convince me that werewolves, banshees and Dread Doctors are real," Scott smiled softly, "Liam is immune. Somehow, I can't explain it, but the Fireflies can. If Liam could get to them, out of this godforsaken city, they might be able to find a cure."

Peter narrowed his eyes as Scott handed him three envelopes. He flipped them over to read the scribbled handwriting, ink smudged.

_Stiles._

_Liam._

_T.R._

"Who's T.R.?" Peter raised a brow.

Scott gave another soft smile, "Someone I think might be making an appearence real soon," Peter's brow climbed even higher and Scott shrugged, "I have a hunch!"

Peter snorted at the slight twinkle in Scott's eye before watching it dim back into a look of bitter grief.

"Give those to Marlene when she arrives, please Peter."

Peter wordlessly stuffed them into his pocket and watched the Alpha expectantly, "What now?"

Scott gave a small wet chuckle, "Now?" he wiped at the tears that pooled at the corners of his eyes, "Now, I'll finish the rest of my arrangements."

Peter nodded and moved to leave the room, his own grief suddenly thick in his throat.

"Then I'll join Malia in the morning..." came a soft murmur over his shoulder. 

Peter steeled himself and left.

* * *

  _One Week Later_

A loud banging pulled Theo back to the waking world and he let out a low groan. He rolled onto his back on the dirty coach and stared at the ceiling, blinking the fog from his mind.

For one - albeit brief - sweet moment he couldn't remember where he was, who he was.

Then the loud banging started up again and he clutched his head, "Coming!"

He rolled swiftly onto the balls of his feet and stumbled sleepily to the front door. He fumbled with the chain before he managed to unlock the door.

"Took your sweet time!" A middle aged woman barged passed him into the room without sparing him a glance and began searching his kitchen cabinets.

"Uh..." Theo blinked the last sleep from his eyes and shut the door, "Good morning?"

"Morning?" The woman echoed with a hallow laugh and tugged the blinds mercilessly to the side.

Theo winced as bright sunlight met his eyes and ducked away, "Hey! Damn Tess, who pissed in your coffee this morning?"

Tess let out an amused snort and pulled a bottle of whiskey from a cabinet, "Want one?" She poured herself a drink into a dirty glass.

Theo blinked in confusion, mind still trying to catch up to what was happening, "No, I don't want one. And sure help yourself!" he spat sarcasticly but it held little bite as he pinched his nose, trying to soothe his pounding head.

"Ya sure?" Tess's voice softened into one of concern, "You like you need it."

He huffed and waved her concern away, "I'm fine, just a headache."

She crossed her arms defiantly, "So you mean to tell me your wolf ass can heal from just about anything, but a headaches got you down?"

Theo grumbled and put his mouth to the tap, gulping large mouthfuls of water.

Tess laid a hand on his shoulder lightly, "Rough night?"

Theo carefully pulled free from her grip and wiped his mouth, stubble scratching his arm, "You could say that..."

Her lips thinned in pity and Theo quickly changed the subject, "So, you gonna tell me why you're in my house?"

"House? That's what you call this dump?"

He shrugged, "I've seen worse."

It was true. The memory of sleepless nights in his truck was still fresh in his mind.

"Robert."

He jerked his head in her direction, "What?"

She gave a satisfied smile, "You heard me, Robert's in town. You ready for a friendly get together?"

He was already grabbing his jacket and heading to the door, "Friendly?" He paused to ask over his shoulder.

Tess grinned back at him, "Optional."

* * *

 

"Our bags should be right where we left 'em last time!" Tess's shout echoed through the sewers. Theo knew the track well enough to know that they'd passed by the quarintine zone already.

"Want to say that any louder?"

"What? You scared I'll wake up the big bad sewage monster?" She snorted a laugh.

"He's already right behind you..." Theo murmured too quietly for her to hear, "Hey, you think next time we could hide our stuff someplace else?"

"Sewers not grand enough for you?" They entered a small space with a table to the side with guns stacked on it.

"Nah, I'm into the classy stuff..." He threw his jacket onto the table as they loaded their pistols, "Ammo's low." He remarked lazily.

"Well, just make each shot count then!" Tess clipped her safety vest in place and motioned to Theo to open the skylight.

He huffed before climbing on the table and pushing the makeshift cover aside. Tess quickly bounced up and held her hand for him. He let her pull him up with a grunt into the first floor of the Hotel.

He shook the tension from his shoulders, glad to be out of the sewers and above ground. He perked his ears and picked up two heartbeats up ahead. He jerked his head to signal to Tess, not checking if she understood, he knew she would.

They crept forward silently, avoiding strewn glass and ducking behind furniture pieces. Theo could smell Tess's excitement in the air as he neared the back of a soldier keeping watch at the Hotel doors, his own anticipation rising.

Quietly and effeciently they each took a soldier from behind, Theo looped an arm around the man's neck and broke it with a soft crack. A matching crack followed soon after as Tess copied his movements.  
Theo perked his ears once more and when he was sure they were clear he nodded to Tess.

She patted their sides and pulled a switchblade from one's pocket and a revolver from another. She tossed Theo the blade wordlessly and cocked the gun before hooking it onto her belt.

He gave her a bored look.

"What? You've got claws, I get to keep the gun!"

They entered the street and Theo took a moment to breathe in deeply, lungs expanding with fresh air. He felt his headache finally numb and the fog clear from his brain. Beside him Tess gave an eager skip before starting her jog up the street.

"Where are we going?" Theo huffed as he easily kept pace with her.

"Loading site down by the old Warehouse!"

"You sure he's there?"

"O, trust me, he's there alright."

Theo accepted this and let his senses wander, welcoming the feel of air in his face. All was silent except for the patter of their feet on broken tar.

They neared a corner and Tess skidded to a halt. She gave him a look, "Let me do the talkin'."

At his nod they rounded the corner and walked up to a man with tattoos guarding a fence braided with barbs. He lifted his lip in an attemped snarl when he saw them coming and Theo felt his lip quiver in need to show the asshole a real snarl.

"Relax! We're here for supplies." Tess held up her hands and let the brute search her. He copied the process with Theo and the chimera bit on his lip so hard he tasted blood. When the man's search yielded too long he hissed, "I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be hiding a Firefly brand on  _that_ part of my body."

The man gave him a lazy smile before stepping aside. When they'd pushed their way into the market area Tess let out a loud breath, "Seesh! I'd hoped to get a good pat down myself, but they always go for the pretty boys!" 

Theo rolled his eyes at her back and slowly trailed behind her, letting his gaze wander through the small market.

There was a lady chopping meat with quick, rythmatic movements before shoving the load into a steel bucket. Flies buzzed around her head, but she didn't seem to notice. A piece of meat fell from the chopping block and a sickly looking dog snatched it and gulped it down whole. A man with scarred arms was shining a blade before placing it neatly in a row next to similar looking knives. Theo brushed a hand over a bowstring on display and tried to tune out the crowing sounds of children singing for scraps.

Ahead of him Tess pushed a man into the shadows and Theo focused to hear the conversation.

"Where's Robert?!" 

"I don't know no Robert! Get your hands off me!"

Theo recognized the sound of a switchblade opening and sighed. He reluctantly withdrew a hand from the bowstring and slipped into the dark corner to join Tess. She held the tip of the knife to the man's throat, drawing a tiny drop of blood. Theo tracked its movement down to the nape of the man's neck.

"Talk!" Tess hissed.

The man remained silent and Theo couldn't pick up the scent of fear in the air, only hunger. He decided to chamge tactics and pulled Tess's offending arm away. He dug a small vail out of his pocket and held it for the man to see, liquid glinting.

"Morphine," he said simply and the man met his gaze before eagerly nodding. Theo snatched the vial out of reach with a smug smile, "Sing."

"The Warehouse by the loading site!" The man made a grab for the vial but Theo shoved him forcefully back into the wall.

"Yeah, we know that bit already. What else?"

"Men, lots of men. They're armed to the tooth waiting for you. He knows you're coming for him!"

Theo considered killing him as he watched the man's wild eyes. He was as good as dead anyway. He saw a tongue dart out to lick chapped lips and decided it wasn't worth the effort.

"Here," he flicked the glass vial into the air and turned to leave. The man snatched it hurriedly and Tess grumbled before following him out of the marketplace.

"Where'd you get that?"

He shrugged, "I keep a small supply."

"Hmmm..."

He met her eyes as they walked side by side, "Helps me sleep."

"Hmmm..."

* * *

 

Marlene peeked through the glass window at the boy sitting gloomily with his back to her.

"Liam..." she tested the name. 

"Yes, I'd advise you to be wary though, he has a slight... temper."

Marlene dragged her gaze to the man at her side. He was quite handsome, for an older man. For a werewolf.

"Thank you Mr Hale, I had my doubts when you asked me to come, but I'm pleasently surprised."

"It's Peter. Mr Hale is meant for the Sourwolves of the family. Though it isn't me you should be thanking."

"Ah, yes I am aware. Where is Mr McCall?"

Peter growled lightly, "Scott. He won't be coming."

Marlene frowned at him is disapproval, "Too bad, I was looking forward to meet the True Alpha. He's somewhat of a legend." She mused.

"You're somewhat of a legend yourself, Marlene. Queen Firefly." The man grinned menacingly.

"My reputation precedes me, I take it?"

"Putting it lightly."

"Well, thank Scott McCall for me then. This is the first chance we've ever had at making a change." She gazed back to Liam eagerly.

"He's remarkable..." she breathed.

Peter snorted, "I wouldn't go that far. I held my end of the deal. This is more a favour to you than it was to Scott anyway."

"Your end of the deal?" She enquired and tipped her head to the side. She traced a fingernail down the side of her neck, subconciously feeling for a pulse, "What do you want in return then, Peter Hale?"

"Beacon Hills," came the sure reply.

"What makes you think that is within my power?" She was being coy, but she enjoyed it.

"I know it's Firefly grounds. No soldiers, no Infected."

"You must tell me your sources..." she mused, "How do you come by all of this information?"

He leaned forward and whispered in her ear, "I never reveal my sources," his breath made a strand of hair puff into her field of vision.

"You can have Beacon Hills. But humor me, why do you want it?"

"It has sentimental value..."

* * *

 Liam stilled as the chair on the opposite side of the table creaked under the weight of a petite African woman. He glanced at her from beneath her eyelashes. She watched him with an intellegent gaze, picking him apart.

"Liam..." he thought his name sounded foreign on her tongue, "Do you know who I am?"

Liam unclenched his fists, "Marlene. You're the leader of the Fireflies."

The corner of her mouth quirked in approval, "I am. You came by your answer quite quickly."

Liam scoffed, "I had a friend who gave me a very detailed description of you once," his finger toyed with Mason's tag that was tied to a leather strap around his wrist.

"Had?"

"Yeah," his voice sounded hollow to his own ears, "he died."

"Want to tell me what happened?"

He heaved a deep sigh, "Not much to tell. He died. I was supposed to die too..." he shrugged, "Here I am, still waiting my turn..."

* * *

 

Fingers clicking in front of his face brought Theo back to the present. His unfocused gaze melded together again to view a delicate tanned hand with slender fingers in front of his face. They gave another snap.

"What?" he grumbled.

Tess huffed in annoyance and brought the hand to rest on her hip, "Honestly, if you don't get your head out off your ass soon I'm gonna shove it even deeper."

He grinned at her in amusement, "Exactly what every boy wants to hear."

She snorted but didn't say anything.

Theo sighed, giving in. "Okay okay, head out of ass, got it."

She seemed satisfied and turned to face the warehouse again. Theo tuned his hearing and heard several heartbeats coming from inside. He sniffed and gagged at the smell of gunpowder and gasoline.

"Well?" Tess asked impatiently.

"Well," he echoed just to annoy her, "They obviously know we're coming..."

"C'mon lay it on me!"

"There are too many of them, I can pick up at least two dosen heartbeats," he paused as she let out a low whistle, "but I can tell which one is most likely Robert's, which is good, he's holed up in the bunker on the far side. Alone. All the guards are outside. I can smell gasoline."

"You have anything in mind?"

He smirked devilishly, "I've always liked to play with fire..."

* * *

 Marlene continued to stare at Liam until a loud warning bell cut their interaction short. She rose to her feet quickly causing her chair to tip over. Liam rose as well and saw that she was wearing laced combat boots. It made him like her even more.

"Marlene! Bandits have taken the vehicles!"

"What?!"

"There were too many, the men are mostly down! We have to move!"

She glanced at Liam in panic and he held his breath, waiting to see what she would do.

"Take him."

Liam growled in protest as several hands grabbed onto his arms.

"Get him go safety, I'll lure them away with the remaining men."

"What? I can fight," Liam let his eyes glow to prove his point, "I can help you!" Marlene paused at the door and met his eyes with a confident look, "You will."

* * *

Screams of agony filled the air, mixing with the crackling of fire. Theo's eyes watered and stung from the smoke and smell of scorched flesh. He watched bodies writhing in the flames, unable to pull his gaze away. 

When the screams died down and the bodies were nothing but ash floating to rest on his lashes he wiped a hand across his soot covered face.

"Damn, I still had one left," Tess walked up to stand beside him with an unused molotov still in her grip. 

She sighed dramatically before tossing it into the flames anyway, causing them to rise higher.

Theo heard the racing heartbeat before the loud sound of running footsteps followed. He took off with Tess somewhere behind him, pelting down the warehouse at full speed.

He saw his target up ahead turning a corner of a house and decided to take a shortcut over the roof of the small house. He tackled Robert to the ground, slamming the air air from both of their bodies. 

He grunted and pushed himself away from the gasping Robert. He heard the cock of a gun and looked up to see Tess leveling Robert with the barrel of her gun. He pushed to his feet with a grunt.

"T-Tess! Theo! H-How-"

Theo kicked him hard in his side, satisfied to hear the crack of ribs. He kneeled by Roberts head with a smile, "Hello Robert."

"We just came for a friendly chat, why'd you have to bring al those men out to join us?" Tess teased, but Theo could sense her tension. 

"The chase is over now, time to pay the piper." He growled and bared his fangs at the squirming man on the ground.

"Where are our guns Robert?!" Tess kicked him over so that they could see his face. 

_And the drugs. The morphine._   


Theo wrinkled his nose. The man had pissed himself. His chemosignals gave of pure terror. Theo rose again, towering over their catch.

"I-I don't have them! I swear!" His voice was so pitifully high.

"Then who has them?" Theo asked boredly.

Robert suddenly moved to grab a gun close to him, Theo stepped on his fingers and broke them.

Robert screamed in agony before Theo moved a boot and pressed it on his chest,"Do I really have to repeat myself?"

"M-Marlene! I owed the Fireflies! They have the guns!" 

Theo rolled his eyes and stepped away, feeling resigned.

"Listen, listen! We can go get them back!" Robert tried to make himself sound useful, but Tess just snorted and shot him in the head.

After a long silence Tess decided to break it, "So, guess we're going Firefly huntimg then?"

Theo let out a tired sigh and rolled his aching shoulders. "C'mon Tess, its over." 

Tess jabbed a finger in his chest, "No! I promised those guns to high bidders, they will have my head Theo, my head!"

"Tess, I don't know how to find a Firefl-"

He was cut of by a woman stumbling around the corner, one hand raised to signal that she'd meant no harm, the other pressed to her bleeding side. 

"Don't worry, I think you've found one." She showed them her tag.

Behind Theo Tess gasped, "Marlene?!" She rushed to the woman's side and began to help her sit on one of the crates.

Theo reeled back in shock, "You to know each other?!"

Tess glanced at him ,"It's a long unpleasant story."

Marlene snorted them winced,"Where's Robert?" 

Theo stepped aside for Marlene to see the bloody heap behind him, "Ah," she seems unfazed and Theo found it hard to place her chemosignals.

"So you have our guns?" He raised a brow at her.

"I do. They are rightfully mine, Robert owed me." 

"Yeah well get in line! Robert owes a lot of people!"

"Look, we can make a deal. I need something smuggled safely out of the City to a Firefly base not far from here, you do that for me and the guns are yours!" 

Theo raised his brows in surprise, "You don't even know me and you expect I'm trustworthy enough to deliver your precious package?" He let out a laugh.

Marlene cocked her head, "I don't know your  name, but I have a feeling I know your initials.  _T.R?"_

Theo stilled in surprise and even Tess cocked her gun, ready to protect Theo if needed.

"Theo Raeken, how did you know?" 

Marlene stuck her hand out to him and he shook it, the grip slippery with her blood, "Pleased to meet you, Theo Raeken. I promise all your questions will be answered, but I need medical aid, fast. Do you think you can follow me?"

Theo and Tess both nodded.

* * *

Liam growled at the Firefly guarding him, "Where is Marlene?" 

"She's on her way, kid calm down." 

"You don't tell someone with I.E.D. to calm down!" He growled.

"Marlene said to keep you alive, she said nothing about knocking you unconcious."

Liam wrestled with himself before the guard sighed in sympathy.

If Liam hadn't been so caught up in their arguement and trying to swallow his anger, he would've recognized the heartbeat, the scent. 

* * *

Theo and Tess followed Marlene to a small shed tucked away under the trees. 

Theo sniffed the air, Marlene's blood and the smoke that clung to their clothes made it hard for him to pick up anything else, but he thought he caught a scent, so familiar and it hit close to home causing him to halt. 

Tess looked at him questioningly so he continued forward. He recognized the heartbeat next. 

Marlene stumbled inside with Tess's help and a Firefly quickly came to tend to his leader. Theo hung back before stepping into the room. His eyes immediatly found those baby blues.

_"Theo?!"_   


"Hallo, Little Wolf." 

Liam punched him.


	3. Who are we?

_I punched him. Why did I do that?!_

Liam shook out his knuckles and watched Theo reset his nose. They just stared at each other stupidly. 

"Ah, you know each other, good..." Marlene winced as the woman who came in with Theo applied pressure to the wound. 

Liam swallowed and moved forward to take her pain. She watched him in awe, "You really are remarkable, aren't you?"

Liam stepped back feeling awkward. 

Theo's cold voice cut through the air like a knife, "So where's the package that needs to be smuggled?"

_Smuggled? Theo is a smuggler now?_

Marlene let out a pained chuckle, "He just punched you."

"What? Him?!" Theo snarled the same time Liam quaked ,"Me?!"

Theo narrowed his eyes, "We don't smuggle people."

Marlene leveled Theo with a look, "Please, I would've done it but in my current condition I won't make it."

The woman Theo came with rose and placed a bloody hand on his arm. Laim was amazed the chimera even allowed her to.

_Who is she?_

_"_ Theo, I need to get those guns back, they'll kill me if I don't have them!"

Theo sighed and Liam thought he looked tired, "Yeah Tess, I know."

Theo brought his gaze back to Marlene, "Show us the guns amd we'll do it."

"Thank you! Tess can come with me to check te merchendise while I get patched up, that ok?" Theo nodded simply.

"Can you take Liam to a safe place? Maybe you can get some rest. The Firefly safehouse is in Santa Cruz, its a far journey on foot."

Theo turned to leave when Marlene handed him three envelopes, "Here, read them when you're someplace safe."

* * *

 

Theo trudged along the cobblestone path that had lead to the shed, mind whirling.

_Why do the Fireflies want Liam?_

_Where had Liam been all this time?_

_Does he still hate me?_

_Does he know Marlene?_

_Why does Tess know Marlene?_

He took a deep breath with closed eyes, nature air filling his lungs, before slowly breathing out. 

He opened his eyes and they immediatly met Liam's electric blue gaze. He sighed.

The beta shifted awkwardly from foot to foot, "Hey," he mumbled awkwardly and cringed immediatly.

Theo narrowed his eyes, "Hey," he said sarcasticly before turning around, motioning for Liam to follow. He heard dragging footsteps behind him, slightly surprised that Liam followed without arguement.

They reached a building with stairs all the way to the roof. They climbed to the top wordlessly. Theo gazed at the setting sun.

He let out a thoughtful "Hmmm" drawing Liam's attention once more.

"What is it?" 

"Nothing, just that the sun's gonna set soon and we're out of the quarintine zone. It's not safe to move at night. Too many Infected."

He heard Liam's breath hitch at the word.

"We need to go back to the quarantine zone," he decided. "Why?" The beta's eyebrows furrowed. "I left some thing at home that I need, important things. Don't worry, we'll sneak back over the rooftops so soldiers won't see us."

 

* * *

 "You live here?" Liam asked as Theo slipped the locks on the door shut.

"Sometimes," Theo said absentmindedly as he pulled two lanterns from a kitchen cabinet.

"Sometimes? What does that mean?"

Theo just sighed and went to light the lanterns, placing one on the kitchen table and another on the ground in what Liam assumed was once a living room.

"It's not much, beats sleeping in the truck. But I don't always sleep in the same place for too long, it's dangerous to have a pattern." 

Liam frowned, "Are ypu running from someone?"

"Not at the moment," Theo lost himself in what he was doing again for a while, pulling out a two small boxes from a closet with a broken door.

"Tess landed in some hot water though. She promised guns to a very high bidder, I know why she did it. He'd have paid enough to get her out of this godforsaken town for sure... but then the deal went south, as usual. She clearly counts on this little adventure of yours to save her ass," Theo snorted before shrugging of his backpack and emptying the contents onto the floor.

Liam watched the items spill out with interest. A knife, another knife, a gun, empty water bottle, energy bar wrappers, another knife, pills, the three envelopes...

Theo sat on the floor and slid out a claw to cut open a box, "Your turn, spill. Why do the Fireflies want you?"

Liam clenched his  jaw and stubbornly refused to listen, instead he picked up the envelopes from Theo's heap of things on the floor. His heart skipped a beat when he recognized the handwriting.

_Scott?_

Theo's picked up on his heartbeat changing amd looked over with interest, "What?"

"T-these are from Scott. I recognize his handwriting," he sniffed the envelope and picked up Scott and Peter's scent.

"There's one for me, you I guess," he handed Theo the letter with T.R. scribbled onto it, and one for... Stiles?" A sudden feeling of dread filled Liam.

"When's the last time you saw him?"

"Uh, about 3 weeks ago I think..."  _After he'd heard my howl of grief over Mason's dead body._

Theo nodded and tossed his own letter aside, not intending to read it as he sorted through his things.

Liam tentatively opened his and began to read.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

> _**Liam** _
> 
> _**That sounded dumb. Maybe I should've started with Dear Liam. No, that's even worse.** _
> 
> _**Liam, you are my first beta and I often find myself thinking that turning you was the best thing I could've ever done. I'm proud of you. I'm so sorry I let this happen. The Pack... it just wasn't a Pack anymore, and that's my fault. I should've fought harder to keep us together. I'm so sorry.** _
> 
> _**When I found you with Mason's body I once again realised how special you truely are. It made me feel proud and good, the thought that I'd bitten you and helped to shape you into the strong young man you have become.** _
> 
> _**Liam, by now I think you already know this, but I'm dead. Malia too.**_
> 
> _**I died with so much regret, but seeing you be healthy after the bite gave me hope. And suddenly it was okay. I was ready to die. I AM ready to die. I was bitten, like you, but I'm not special in the way that you are. I'm glad I'm not. I'll be able to meet Malia again soon.** _
> 
> _**I reached out via Peter to Marlene. Who I'm sure you met. She's a very powerful woman. I think you'll like her. But I also don't trust her entirely, which is where Theo comes in. I know, I know, trusting Theo? Could be a bad idea. But not asking him to be a part of the Pack, not protecting him when he needed it, leaving him to fend for himself... I guess this is just me trying to redeem past mistakes.**_
> 
> _**Maybe I'm wrong about him, maybe he won't play his role. I gave Marlene his information in case she needed a... specialist... I've been watching him this entire time, while I don't agree with his methods, he knows how to survive. I remember the two of you in the War, there was a connection, a hope for Theo to be better. I hope I'm not wrong.** _
> 
> _**If I'm right, you now have the most ruthless protector in the world...** _
> 
> _**I wonder what colour your eyes are now, I'm sad that I never got to see you grow into the young Alpha I know you could be. Are your eyes red now that I'm gone?** _
> 
> _**I somehow doubt it, we weren't much of a Pack anymore. I wasn't much of an Alpha anymore...** _
> 
> _**I know you're angry, Liam. I know you're scared, I'm scared too. Not of dying, but what comes after... I hope I'll join all our fallen friends. Malia, Alec, Allison... there are so many... Mason, Aiden...** _
> 
> _**I'm so sorry Liam. But you are not alone. You have Marlene, the Fireflies. Maybe you have Theo too. They'll find an answer. A cure. You are going to save millions, Liam.** _
> 
> _**I want you to understand, this isn't the world we used to know anymore. If... if it comes to it... I want you to do everything you need to keep yourself alive... Theo and Marlene are tough, better cut to suit this world than you and I, listen to them, please Liam.**_
> 
> _**I hope you can forgive me, but you don't have to.** _
> 
> _**Goodbye, Liam...** _

 You would think Scott's death would be loud, a mixture of thunder and screeches of grief, bit it was silent. Unknown. The grief Liam felt was internal, only making itself known with fresh tears and soundless sobs that racked his body. 

There was no tribute, no line of grievers with last words to share. There was no one. Liam threw his head back, fangs bared and howled his grief out loud to the world.

_He's dead! Scott's dead!_

His lumgs burned with effort at the long wailing sound, corners of his mouth tearing. Windows shook and small pieces of grit on the floor vibrated. 

_Scott McCall is dead._

* * *

Theo snapped his head up so quickly he thought his neck would snap from the action. Liam's chemosignals reeked, so vividly spelling out the young wolf's pain. 

He saw Liam drop the letter wordlessly and it fluttered to the floor. Tears dripped down his face, eyes that were normally bright blue were now a dull, lifeless grey with pain.

Theo moved to stand up when Liam howled. Theo covered his ears and reeled back in surprise. 

"Liam!" He shook the beta's shoulders, "Liam stop!" He saw blood running from the corner of Liam's mouth where the skin tore as he stretched his mouth wider, howled louder.

He dug his claws into Liam's shirt, trying to ground him, "Liam!" he roared and let his own eyes glow.

Liam grew silent and fell forward, body numb and exhausted. Theo pushed him gently back onto the coach, hands lingering near Liam's chest in case he toppled over again.

"It's from Scott... he's dead," came the quiet whisper as Liam stared blankly at the floor. 

The words threw Theo off for a second and he felt an uncomfortable tightness in his chest. He looked at Liam's tired tearsteaked face. He looked at his hands still hovering in the air between them, felt the desire to use them and pull Liam into a tight embrace.

He didn't.

He rose from where he'd been kneeling and went to grab a bottle of water from the kitchen. He sauntered back to his pack and picked a bottle of pills from the floor. He shook one capsule out and handed it to Liam to drink.

Liam was obviously too worn out to argue, he just took the water and eyed the capsule with mild interest, "What is it?"

"It'll calm you down, help you sleep..."

Liam nodded and swallowed the pill with large gulps of water before setting his feet on the couch. He turned to his side with an arm under his head and watched Theo.

"What are you doin'?"

Theo continued his earlier task and put a large box of loose needles in his bag, "Packing, what's it look like?" he raised an eyebrow before taking a bottle of capsules, spilling their content on the floor.

"What're those?"

Theo spared him a glance before focusing on the task at hand, he broke each capsule and shook its powder onto the floor. The loose powder made small swirls and clouds before settling on the dirty hardwood floor. Theo then scooped a new powder into the empty capsule before sealing it, moving to the next one.

Liam caught the whiff of the familiar powder Theo was filling into the capsules and felt his throat tighten with sudden unease, "Wolfsbane?"

"Yup," Theo let the p pop, "I'm replacing the vitamin powder with it."

"W-Why?"

Theo shrugged, "Could come in handy."

Liam felt a flare of panic as his eyes grew heavy with sleep, "Did you just poison me?!"

Theo gave a quiet chuckle, "Relax, Little Wolf. I just gave you one to help you sleep," he met Liam's gaze, "You'll be fine, promise."

Liam heart the steady beat of his heart and settled down, "Fine..." he grumbled.

Theo listened to Liam's heavy breathing even out, signalling sleep.

He glanced at the letter that was meant for him.

_Scott wrote a letter. For me._

His fingers itched to rip the envelope open and read whatever message the True Alpha thought he was important enough to receive.

Again, he didn't.

He shoved it into his backpack, leaving it to wrinkle way at the bottom.

_Don't get involved personally Theo. This is just another job._

* * *

 Liam woke with Theo rudely shaking his arm, "C'mon Sleepy Wolf we're burning daylight!"

He groaned and turned his back on the chimera, sleep tugging him into the abyss again.

Something cold splashed his face and he was instantly awake, he sat up as water ran in small streams down his body and glared at Theo who took a sip from a now almost empty bottle with a poorly concealed smile.

"Asshole! Why'd you do that?!" He growled and Theo laughed, enjoying every moment of Liam's misery.

Liam frowned and pulled his overshirt over his head, wringing it up before snapping it at Theo's thigh. Theo laughed even louder now and Liam paused, feeling a strange familiarity and warmth.

It didn't last long.

A heavy bag hit him in the face and Theo sauntered to the door, "Time to leave!"

Liam grumbled a few curses but followed him anyway. He kept pace with Theo as the chimera expertly weaved through the streets and alleys. Soldiers and beggars alike gave Liam menacing looks that made him duck his head and hurry his pace, but Theo didn't even seem to notice.

They came to a stop at a sewage entrance and Liam gagged in disgust as the smell caught his nostrils, "Please don't say it!" Theo just shrugged and led the way. Liam shook his feet as he waded through the knee deep thick fluid, refusing to think about what it was.

They entered a small space with a table that Theo quickly got on. He glanced at Liam briefly, "From here on we're out of the QZ again, so be quiet and stay close."

Liam rolled his eyes and growled lightly but nodded. Theo opened a false door and helped Liam through. They continued down a corridor of what Liam assumed was a hotel before finally reaching the street.

He watched Theo breathe in deeply, placing his hands on his head and lifing his face to the sun. Liam's eyes fell to where Theo's shirt rode up, exposing tanned skin pulled tightly over muscles. He swallowed and looked away.

They waited for at least an hour before Tess came jogging up to them, "I saw the guns," she gasped for breath," It's a lot, we gotta do this job!"

Theo nodded with a sour expression. Liam felt anger bubble in his chest at being called a job, but he kept his mouth shut.

Theo must've smelled his chemosignals though, because he looked at Liam from beneath long lashes before he cracked his neck and rolled his shoulders, "His name's Liam."

Tess just huffed and tossed a bag at Theo's feet, "From Marlene. Basic supplies but at least its something."

Liam looked up as he heard the African woman being mentioned,"H-how is she?"

Tess looked irritated at being spoken too but answered him, "She'll be fine."

Theo grabbed the duffel bag from the pavement and tossed it to Liam before nodding at Tess, "Let's get this over with, take point."

* * *

 

"Let's get this over with," Liam did his best impression of Chimera of Death as he purposefully dragged his feet. He tried to be patient, really, but his patience ran out hours ago when he tripped in a pothole for the 4th time, dropping the stupidly large duffel bag in the process.

"You hear something, Tess?" Theo playfully asked her as he walked with a spring in his step, happily ignoring Liam.

"Nope," Liam narrowed his eyes at the woman's back, trying to burn holes. They haven't stopped walking since they left Sacramento - not even once.

"Can we take like a water break or something?" He called hopefully, surely they were thirsty too.

"This isn't lacrosse practice, Liam. No water break." Theo quipped without looking at him.

"What's lacrosse?" Tess asked and Liam couldn't believe her ignorance.

"Only, like the best sport ever! How do you not know what lacrosse is?" He asked indignantly with wide eyes and jogged to catch up to the two in front.

"Sport? Only sport I know is stayin' alive," Tess mumbled and Liam fell back a few steps again, disappointed that she didn't take interest in conversation with him.

Theo locked eyes with him and gave him a small sympathetic smile. He tossed a bottle of water at Liam and didn't turn to look at him again. Liam felt a blush creeping up his neck and took a sip.

* * *

 

Liam's hope grew as the sun started to fall behind the rolling hills, colouring the dried grass that sprung from between cracks in the tar a vivid purple.

His hope dwindled when Theo and Tess kept their sturdy stride without making any moves to stop. 

A coyote howled somewhere in the distance and Theo snapped his head up, eyes ablaze. Liam could see the tension in his quivering back muscles through his T-shirt.

Tess placed a delicate hand in between Theo's shoulder blades, "Easy there Big Bad." Liam expected Theo to say something snarky, to push her away, to snap at her - anything. Theo just lightly shrugged her hand off and kept walking.

Liam was so surprised he stopped in his tracks. That wasn't the normal Theo-ish reaction. He wondered yet again who Tess was and ,more importantly,  _who she was to Theo._

He'd had no choice but to watch them all day, so he picked up on their ease. He saw how they matched each other stride for stride, seemed to communicate without words. He heard the small snorts of laughter they gave each other at inside jokes. It made Liam strangely jealous. 

He'd fought side by side with the chimera, offered him a place to stay - he's dragged him from Hell, and they never reached a point in their somewhat friendship that had Theo relaxed around Liam. Even now, watching the tension in the chimera's shoulders  he couldn't help but wonder.

_Is it because of me?_

* * *

 When Liam slapped a musqioto that sucked at his neck and saw a small red spot of his blood on his palm, he decided that enough was enough. He dug his heels into the tar, tired feet aching in protest at the harsh movement. Theo and Tess walked a few more metres before Theo halted with a loud sigh.

When he faced Liam his eyes were glowing, "Liam..." he growled in warning.

Liam threw the stupid duffel onto the ground and saw Tess move to sit on a rock. Theo's golden gaze narrowed.

"I'm tired, I'm hungry, my feet hurt, my back hurts, my everything hurts," he listed the complaints he'd been keeping bottled up, "I'm sick of carrying this stupid bag!" Tess let out a loud whistle when Liam had finished, causing him to frown even more.

Theo just watched him, analysing. It made Liam feel awkward, like he was naked as Theo raked his blazing stare over his body.

Theo grabbed the duffel and pulled a protein bar from a side pocket. He chucked it at Liam before swinging the duffel onto his own back. He looked back at Liam's frowning face with a blank expression, "You done?"

Liam stayed silent in shock, holding the candy to his chest like a shield.

"Good, now let's go. We only sleep every other night."

Liam grumbled as he tore into his energy bar. Every other night? He huffed. He didn't even think Theo had slept the night before, either.

* * *

 Morning came sooner than Liam expected. His body had moved on auto-pilot for the most of the night, physically he'd been moving but mentally he'd been in shut down mode. He welcomed the first rays of sunlight that landed on his face.

They finally slowed to a stop and Theo sat heavily on the ground with his eyes closed, breathing deeply. Tess sat a few feet away and pulled her boots from her blistered feet, wiggling her toes. Liam winced in pity.

His own feet had barely endured the torture and he was a werewolf, his blisters healing just as quickly as they formed. Tess was human, meaning her blisters reopened with every step. He sat closer to Theo than to Tess. He admired her sharp mind, but was wary of her equally sharp tongue.

Theo laid on his back now, with an arm behind his head. Slow puffing breaths told Liam that the chimera was already asleep. He picked up concern flooding from Tess as she gazed at him.

"We can rest here for a while, go on Liam, get some sleep," she decided. Liam wanted to ask about the "we only sleep every other night rule" but bit his tongue. He'd take the small mercies thrown at him.

He inspected Theo closely for the first time. He looked slightly older, but not much. His face was soft as he slept peacefully. Stubble covered his sharp jaw down to the nape of his neck. The sunlight illuminated dark circles under his eyes, which moved beneath his closed lids, lashes brushing his high cheekbones. His hair was unkept and disheveled on his head, but the dark brown locks seemed soft, shaved short at the neck and increasing in length to the top. Gentle breaths puffed between soft looking lips.

Liam sank down next to the chimera and rested his head on his backpack. Sunlight caught on the tag around his wrist, illuminating Mason's name. Liam shut his eyes.

* * *

Theo woke with a start, heart pounding as his mind shook off the fog from his nightmare. He pushed himself onto his elbows and cursed softly. He saw Tess keeping watch, playing with a twig between two delicate fingers.

"Why'd you let me sleep?" He growled and rose to his feet, legs still a bit wobbly from his nap.

"You needed it," Tess shrugged and twirled the twig.

"We lost time," Theo rubbed a hand over his face before kicking the backpack from underneath Liam's head.

The beta hissed as his head crashed onto the concrete and he blinked in confusion, but Theo didn't waste time and started walking.

Tess sighed before rising herself, snapping the twig and dropping the pieces to the dust.

Theo kept a steady pace ahead of the others. Tess knew better than to catch uo with him or talk to him when he was like this. Liam didn't.

They had been walking a few hours when Liam whispered, as if Theo couldn't hear him, "What's his deal?"

Theo clenched his jaw and walked even faster. He could just imagine how smug Tess felt right now.

"He gets grumpy now and then," came an amused reply.

Liam snorted, "Tell me about it!" 

"Shut up, Liam!" He yelled over his shoulder.

* * *

The second moon of their journey filled the sky when Theo finally stopped and dropped the bag onto the ground causing a dusty cloud to rise.

"Jeez, thought you'd never cool down!" Tess said annoyed and threw her bag down with force. Liam flinched at her irritation. He sat down with his back to a pole and pulled his water out. 

He looked at their surroundings with his wolf eyes. It looked like an abandoned farmhouse.

"Can we sleep inside?" He questioned and motioned his head at the barn.

Tess looked to Theo who cocked his head for a moment before nodding. They trudged through overgrown grain fields and swung open the barn's door, paint flaking from the wood with the action. 

It wasn't much, but it was better than the hard ground. Liam flopped onto the inviting hay and sighed in pleasure. It smelled a bit stale, but who cares?

Tess packed a fire in the middle of the barn, away from hay piles but still close enough to provide light and warmth. She lit it and they all watched the flames lick the air lazily.

Liam's stomach growled loudly, breaking the silence and ruining the peaceful air. He felt himself blush in embarassment and dug another energy bar from his pack.

"Leave it, I'll get something better to eat," Theo told him and removed his boots slowly before rolling his aching ankles. 

"How do you plan on doing that?" Liam wasn't even surprised when his question was ignored.

Theo pulled his shirt from his body and Liam's breath caught at the sight. The flames cast shadows on the chimera's toned body, highlighting muscled arms that moved to undo the zipper of jeans, veins showing underneath thin skin on his forearms. Liam traiked his eyes over the smooth collarbones to the peppled nipples with a patch of chest hair between them. Theo's abs rippled in the light of the flames, Liam tried to focus enough to count the ribs he saw lining Theo's sides but was distracted by the trail of thin hair that led down to the strap of boxers. 

Boxers that were removed next. Liam squaked in surprise and almost yanked his head clean off his shoulders as he forced himself to look back at the flames.

He heard the snapping of bones amd grunts of pain that finally ended in heavy puffs of breath. He dared another look at Theo only to find a large black wolf in his place. 

"Woah..." he breathed and then Theo was gone. He was alone with Tess in the barn.

"He doesn't like being gawked at, as hard as it is you should just pretend not to see," Tess commented.

"H-He does that often?" He cleared his throat when his voice came out high.

"Depends," she shrugged and offered no further answer.

They fell into an uncomfortable silence before Tess spoke up again, "You can't do that then, I take it?"

"No, its rare..." Liam tried to sound casual.

Tess snorted, "I thought werewolves themselves were rare, now you tell me there are rarer rare werewolves?"

Liam laughed at her phrasing and she joined in, the mood much lighter now. When they quited down Liam decided to be brave, "Can I ask you, how- how do you know him? I mean, you seem to know each other ... well?" 

"Hmmm..." Tess gazed into the fire and Liam saw she had faint freckles on her nose. It reminded him of Nolan, but he quickly shook that thought away and pushed the sadness down.

"We met couple o' years back, he saved my life actually," she grinned as if she could see the scene in the flames, "I was humiliated, being rescued by a kid? I don't like owing people, so I tracked him from a distance and returned the favour, only to find that he was... special, in a wolfy way, y'know? He didn't need me to save his life, but he needs me to save his mind..." she trailed of sadly.

Liam forced questions down amd waited for her to continue, "Anyway, we stuck together after that. Became partners. Even in a world like this it does you no good to be all alone... He changed my life, but I ain't blind y'know?"

She glanced at Liam to check that he was still listening and he eagerly nodded, "You're cute," she snorted, "but I can tell there's a whole lot of tough behind those baby blues!" 

Liam shook his head, suddenly sad, "No, I'm not," his voice came out hoarse, "tough I mean. I'm weak," he spat the words with hatred.

She cocked her head curiously as she studied him, "Why do the Fireflies want you?" Liam was startled but she didn't give him time to answer, "You've got a look."

"W-What look?"

"The look of a young man that has the world resting on his shoulders," she mused and let out a soft chuckle, "It's pretty funny if you think about it."

Liam frowned, "Think about what?"

"The boy with the weight of the world on his shoulders, traveling miles and miles with the boy who has his past shackled to his feet. Both being dragged down..."

Liam gasped at her reference and saw a knowing twinkle in her eye, "You know about Theo's past?" 

She watched him for a few more moments before turning back to the fire, "Nah, I never asked and he never told. No need to know really, what does the past matter if you don't even know if you have a future anymore?"

"He did terrible things... evil things..."

"Hmmmm... and he does them still, so do I. Everyday. It's called surviving."

"You didn't mention yourself..."

She quirked a thin brow at him.

"When you said that thing about me and Theo traveling... being dragged down?" 

She huffed, "That's cause I'm just a back ground character, and I have a hunch you boys will be centre stage..." he picked up a hint of bitterness in her voice as she threw a piece of straw into the flames and watched it turn to ash.

* * *

Theo trotted in moments later with two rabits dangling from his jaws. He dropped them before shifting back to human form, naked.

Liam scooted away from the fire, suddenly hot. He forced himself not to look at the older boy getting dressed and watches Tess skin the rabits instead. It made him feel quesy.

Theo settled onto his own heap of straw with a content sigh and watched Tess cook the meat. Liam was so hungry he couldn't care less that the taste wasn't something he was accustumed to.

Theo wordlessly took first watch that night while Tess and Liam slept.


	4. Immunity

Three _days later_

Liam watched Theo who was currently keeping watch while Tess slept. Despite being worn out he couldn't fall asleep. They'd taken shelter in the open grass fields now, just off the side to the main road. As they left the city further and further behind the buildings decreased in size and grew more sparce until there was nothing man-made except for the tar road and a few vandilised stopsigns.

Theo was playing with his lighter, flicking it open and lighting a small flame before snapping it shut again and repeated the process so many times Liam had lost count.

He gave up on the idea of sleeping and walked over to the chimera and joined him on the dusty earth. Theo didn't acknowledge his presense, just kept playing with the tiny flame.

They sat quietly side by side with Liam tipping his head to look at the stars twinkling above them.

"Do you think they know they shine?" He asked without thinking and immediatly cringed at how stupid he sounded.

"What?" Theo asked, his voice strangely rough.

"T-the uh, the stars. Do you think they know that they shine?" He repeated uncertianly. 

Theo brought the small flame to life again but instead of resuming the pattern and snapping it shut he brought it to his face and stared at it, as if it held the answer to some great question Theo was dying to know.

Liam gave up on the hope of receiving an answer and laid back with his arm folded behind his head.

"Where were you?" Theo asked suddenly catching Liam off guard.

"I was back with Tess trying to slee-"

"This whole time, since the outbreak, where were you?" Theo clarified.

"Oh..." he stayed silent for a while, "I was put in a Military Preparatory School with Mason and Corey..." he hoped Theo wouldn't pick up on his sadness as he reluctantly said their names.

But of course he did.

"Where are they now?" Theo asked casually but his eyes were now on Liam and studying him carefully, daring Liam's body to betray information in case his mouth wouldn't.

Liam swallowed, this conversation was hitting close to home too fast,"Corey's a Firefly now, don't know where he is though..."

"Corey's a Firefly... but not Mason?"

"He was..." Liam trailed off and silence hung heavily in the air between them, mixing with his sadness.

From the corner of his eye he saw Theo nod his head before going back to play with his lighter, no further questions asked.

"I looked for you, you know? After the Outbreak in Beacon Hills I searched everywhere, but I couldn't find you," Liam saw Theo tense and he stopped playing with the lighter.

"Why?" The older bly asked with a suspicious tone.

Liam frowned and immediatly felt defensive,"We were leaving, I didn't want to leave you behind."

When Theo said nothing Liam continued, "I was worried, I couldn't find you and thought you were dead. Thought I failed."

"Failed what?"

Liam licked his lips nervously and turned his head to stare into Theo's golden eyes, "You..." he saw Theo grow riggid and heard his heartbeat pick up so he quickly added, "You're my responsibility..." as a way to help Theo relax. It only slightly worked.

"Why are you so important to Marlene?"

Liam's heart leapt to his throat and he swallowed dryly, "I don't know," he lied.

Theo snorted, "That's a lie Liam, I can hear your heart." 

Liam sighed, it was worth a shot.

"I can't tell you," he said simply and looked back at the moon hanging low in the sky.

Theo gave him an irritated huff but surprisingly he didn't press the issue. Liam heard boots crunching on the dry grass as Tess joined them, clapping Theo on the shoulder.

"All rested up, your turn Big Bad!" She gave his shoulder a tight squeeze and Theo sighed before rising to his feet and let Tess take his place. 

Liam followed him back slowly, somehow he didn't want Theo to feel crowded. The chimera sank to the dusty ground and took a small vial from his backpack. Liam watched it with interest as it glinted in the moonlight.

Theo felt Liam's gaze on him and paused what he'd been doing immediatly.

"Go to sleep Liam," he grumbled.

"What's that?" He motioned to the small glass vial clutched in Theo's hand.

Theo gave him a mocking smile, "Sorry, Little Wolf,  _I can't tell you..."_ he hissed Liam's earlier words at him.

"Why do you always have to be such a dick?"

"Why do you always have to annoy me?"

Liam sighed and flopped into an uncomfortable position with his back to the chimera.

Satisfied that he wasn't being watched anymore, Theo screwed a thin needle onto a syringe which he carefully plunged into the small vial, sucking up the liquid inside.

Liam heard the clicking sound of Theo removing his belt and burned with curiosity to see what he was doing but he kept his back to him and perked his ears instead. He heard a muffled grunt and the click of the belt being hooked again.

Theo pumped his hand a few times and blood quickly gathered under the skin of his forearm, turning it slightly blue as the belt cut off his circulation. He eyes a bulging vain and expertly slid the needle into it. He plunged the liquid into his bloodstream and closed his eyes for a moment with a heavy sigh, welcoming the familiar burn that ran through his vains.

Liam heard Theo sigh and the belt clicking again before it was tossed to the ground. He listened to Theo shuffle around and dared to look at him only when he'd grown completely still. 

Liam saw the belt on the ground and looked at Theo's back. He was already asleep. 

* * *

 Morning came much too quickly, as usual. They ate light breakfast - meaning an energy bar - and set off again, Tess at the lead.

Theo had barely spoken since waking up and seemed a bit out of it, like he was still asleep. Liam wrote it down to being tired from the journey but Theo even moved slower today, falling behind Tess. 

When Theo's foot caught on an uneven patch of grass he stumbled a bit but didn't fall. This was enough to cause concern to flare in Liam's chest. He walked to match pace with Theo's sluggish one.

"Theo?" He asked carefully, not really in the mood to be snapped at.

Instead of the chimera answering him Tess spun around with her hands on her hips, eyeing him coldly, "Leave him be."

"Is he okay? Whats wrong with him?" 

"We all get tough days, some tougher than the rest. Leave him alone, he's fine."

* * *

 The following two days were no better - Liam's feet ached and he was constantly hungry or thirsty. And angry, mostly. 

Theo had come out of his daze after a few hours and had been on the top of his game since then. Liam had noticed small things, like how he fell asleep watching the chimera's body, riggidly on watch with stars framing his form. And how he woke up in the early hours of dawn with Theo still keeping watch and Tess soundly asleep. 

It was obvious Theo hadn't slept in a while - except for a few hours of stolen naps when they'd stop to rest - and that Tess hadn't been on watch for two nights now. 

Liam would've brought it up, but he wasn't the only one feeling irritation and anger nip at his heels. Tess became more snappy and Theo's neck was strung so tightly with tension Liam could imagine the muacles snapping like guitar strings.

When they neared a town a lopsided wooden board with peeling paint came into view,  _ **Welcome to Greenberg!**_ It read in peeling yellow paint. 

Theo halted a few feet from the sign and looked at the small town builings in the distance behind it with narrowed eyes.

Tess gave an annoyed huff and pushed past him, causing them to bump shoulders roughly, "You're wastin' time! C'mon!"

Theo grabbed a strap on her backpack and yanked it back hard, causing the woman to stumble and she spat a long string of curses at him, "Damnit Theo! What's your deal?"

Theo just kept glaring at the town, "Let's go around it."

"Go- Go around it?! That will cost us a few more days of extra travel!"

Theo growled at her lowly, "I don't care. We're going around it!" 

Tess crossed her arms defiantly and raised a brow at him, "Why?"

"I don't know okay? Just doesn't feel right."

"Okay, fine. You know what else don't feel right? My aching feet, my tastebuds yearning for something other than energy bars and wild animals, my back breaking from the weight of this stupid bag AND going around a town that might have supplies we could use!"

Liam widened his eyes at the woman's angry rant and waited for Theo's response - there was none. The chimera just shook his head with a curled lip.

"Okay then," Tess nodded at his silence and resumed the track up to the town.

Liam felt Theo's unease so he jogged up to walk beside him, letting their shoulders brush every now and then. Theo eased somewhat.

The town seemed completely vacant. There wasn't much, just a few wooden houses and a couple of larger buildings with broken windows. The tall streetlamps were hanging low in a few places, with a few already toppled over. They passed an old hair salon - Liam could tell by the snippets of hair still gathered in a tangled bush in the corner. It moved slightly and Liam smiled softly when he saw baby birds - they'd found a nest to keep them warm.

There were a few broken ATM's off to the side, people had clearly tried to steal from them. Not that it does them any good now - money was useless in a world like this. 

Tess went to inspect a bar wordlessly and Theo trailed in the opposite direction. Liam stood there stupidly for a minute before making his choice and hurrying after the chimera.

They passed several small shops with some odd trinkets scattered on the ground - keychain, bottle opener, an earing - before a grocery store came into view.

Liam helped Theo push the doors open when the chimera failed to open them himself - they'd been barred from the inside. The doors swung oped and a gust of stale dust and a moldy smell hit Liam's face.

"Smell that? The musty odour?" Theo questioned and Liam nodded, "That means there are Spores in the air - it's like Infected mold," he tried to explain, "harmless to us, but if a human breathes in too much they turn. We need to be careful though, the Spores didn't just get in here all by themselves..."

"You think there's an Infected person in there?" Liam eyes the dim store with horror, "I don't hear anything?"

"No, I don't hear anything either it's clear," Theo walked into the store and motioned for Liam to follow, "grab a basket!"

"You can't always listen for a heartbeat to pick up Infected," the older boy mumbled absentmindedly as he scanned the shop shelves.

"They don't have heartbeats?" Liam frowned.

Theo picked up a lonely can of beans and tossed it into Liam's basket, "They do, for a while after turning at least. A person that's been Infected for a short period of time still has a heartbeat. They're not as strong as those that have been Infected longer, either."

"So there are like different types of Infected? How the hell do you know which is which..." he mumbled with a frown as he searched his own shelf, finding only empty cans.

"You'll know it if you see it... have you ever seen an Infected person before?"

Liam shuddered at the memory of the swarming bodies in the mall, "Yeah, once. But it was pretty fast, I don't remember much. Just that they were fast."  _And strong._

If Theo wondered about Liam's encounted he hid it well, throwing three packs of matches into the basket while moving up an aisle.

"A newly infected person is called a Runner. They still look mostly human but their minds... not much human left there," he picked a toothbrush and a bar of soap, "They usually are just confused, they let out mumbles and screams sometimes that make them easier to spot. Downside is that they almost never travel alone and they still have eyesight."

Liam sniffed at his own chosen bar of soap, "Wait, they go blind?"

_So the infected that attacked me and Mason were Runners. And Theo said they were the weakest..._

Liam shuddered as he tried to picture an even worse creature.

Theo nodded, "The Infection is fungal. It grows on skin, on cells, on every organ. Guess that's why they stop having a heartbeat, it gets overgrown with time. It coveres their eyes with time as well, that's when a Runner becomes a Clicker."

Liam eyed him with a frown and Theo added with a smile, "Like level two of the infection."

"Level two? Are you trying to explain this like a video game?"

"Yeah, my lacrosse termanology's a bit rusty," Theo's smirk grew and Liam felt his own mouth twitch to mimic the expression.

"Shut up," he shoved the chimera lightly, "So, Clickers?"

"It's all in the name really. Instead of listening for a heartbeat you listen for a high pitched clicking sound. Don't know how or why they make it..."

"Clicking... got it, like crickets?"  _Doesn't sound that bad._

Theo snorted, "Crickets chirp Dumbass!"

"Dick..." Liam murmured and dug around at a bottom shelf. He buzzed with happiness when he saw his prize at the far back of the shelf. He pulled the tub of Nutella free with a truiphant grunt before putting it in the basket.

Theo curled his lip in disgust, "Why are you taking that stuff?"

Liam shrugged, "Cause I want it."

"Yeah, well put it back its useless. No nutrition."

"No!" Liam matched his glare until Theo gave in with an exasperated sigh.

"Fine, just don't expect me to drag you to Santa Cruz when you get too fat too keep up!" He left Liam behind and went to the next aisle. Liam heard him grumble, "I can't handle you being a Dumbass and a Fatass," he broke into a large grin and happily trotted to the next aisle.

He bumbed into Theo's solid back.

"Dude, move-" he moved around the older boy and froze. 

There was a... body? Liam didn't know what to call it. It was shaped like a man, it had once been a body. Now it was overgrown with fungal spurts, face distorted. It looked like he was grown stuck to the floor.

"Uh... euw?" He said unsurely.

"Yeah, euw," Theo echoed and stepped over the molded heap to collect a box of already opened Corn Flakes. He peered into the box, "Half, but better than nothing!" 

He threw it into Liam's basket and clapped his back, "C'mon Baby Wolf!"

"Don't call me that! And what do I do with all this stuff?" He jiggled the basket in Theo's face.

"Put it in your backback, Dumbass!"

"W- Then why did you tell me to get a basket in the first place if you knew I'd just have to repack it all into the bag anyway?!"

Theo gave him an amused smile, "Cause I was feeling the grocery trip vibe?"

"Asshole!" Liam threw the empty basket at Theo's back and listened to the chimera's laughter.

* * *

They tackled a clothing store next. Liam found it funny when he saw how highly the items were priced, now they just took whatever was their size for free. Theo emptied his bag of old clothes by carelessly tossing them over his shoulder and filled the bag with manh new clothing items. Liam followed this example as Theo explored the rest of the store. It had already been ransacked before, so the clothing items they took didn't match at all. Liam could just imagine Mason's reaction to the outfits they picked.

There were mountian climbing boots as well so they each took a pair. Liam's was light brown and carried the pleasant smell of genuine leather. Theo - of course - took black.

* * *

 

 Theo pushed the double doors leading into the bar, revealing a patchy red carpet and a few odd tables, "Tess?" He called and let go of the door as he stepped inside. Liam yelped when the door almost smacked him in his face.

_He's such a dick!_

Theo trailed a clawed finger over the barcounter, leaving a clear line through the dust. Liam's boots crunched on broken marguirita glasses and he saw a forgotten Jukebox on its side, broken.

_Shame, I miss music..._

He thought about pulling out the walkman that Mason had given him and listening to one of the many tapes he'd taken from the mall that day, but quickly killed the idea.

"Yo, Tess!" Theo called cupping his hands around his mouth.

" _Over here!"_ Came the answering shout from somewhere at the back of the bar.

Liam followed Theo through a small, dirty kitchen and out the back door, revealing the inside of a restuarant.

_Huh, so this was a Pub & Grill..._

There were large round tables covered ith what Liam assumed had once been white table cloths, chairs strewn all around the room as if there had been some sort of fight. Candles and tray cutlery decorated the rest of the place while a crystal chandalier hung from a wire in the ceiling.

Tess was at the back of the restaurant giving something the stink eye in on the floor. Liam hear a muffled " _Please..."_ and hurried to push his way forward to see who was calling for help.

There was man on the floor with a large wooden table on his back, pinning him there. He craned his neck to see the newcomers and uttered another broken plea.

Liam moved to helo immediatly, like it was instinct. He started to pull at the table when a hand clamped on his shoulder and yanked him back roughly.

"What are you doing?!" Theo spat in his face not letting Liam's shoulder go.

"He needs help!" He bared his fangs and growled at the chimera, "Let me go!"

Theo pushed Liam in the direction away from the man and the beta leapt to his feet with an angry roar, ready to defend this helpless stranger.

_"Please... make it stop!"_

The man's hoarse whisper and choice of words pushed Liam's anger aside for the moment and confusion clouded his gaze.

"He's infected, Liam." Theo said in a hard tone of voice.

_Oh..._

He let his wolf features retreat again and took an uncertian step forward to inspect the man. He was pale with saliva dripping from his mouth, foaming at thr corners.

_So this is what it looks like when someone turns. He's becoming a Runner._

The man gave a loud sob and Tess glanced at Theo, "What do you wanna do?"

Theo watched the man with a blank expression on his face.

_"Help me! Plea-"_

Theo stepped on the back of the man's neck and Liam's stomach flipped at the loud crunch of breaking bone that echoed in his ears.

Theo lifted his boot from the now dead man's neck and pushed his way wordlessly out of the restaurant's door. 

Liam swallowed the bile that rose in his throat and tore his eyes from the body.

Tess glanced at him before touching a single crystal from the low-hanging chandelier with the tip of her finger, "This is pretty." 

* * *

 

That night they holed up in an old motel which had a few doors open. It was small and dirty. Liam didn't even want to think about the state of the sheets, but it was a safe place to stay that was much more comfortable than the hard ground his back had been getting used to. There was running water, too. Cold, but still...

They'd broken into the reception room to find it just as musty and empty as the rest of the town. There were two keys dangling from hooks in the wall and Tess happily took one, "Room 6... fitting," she snorted at her own joke and pushed her way out again before shouting, "I ain't sharing!"

Liam felt frustration crawl up his spine. That meant he and Theo had to share. Theo simply grabbed the remaining keys to Room 10 and left. Liam grumbled a little to himself and saw a bowl of small individually wrapped candies on the counter. He filled his pockets and dragged himself to their room.

He dropped his bags by Theo's at the door and heard the shower already running. Much to his dismay there was only one double bed in the room, with a useless little tv and two nightstands with a Bible resting on each side.

Liam's mother was religious. Dr Geyer was more of a live in the now type of person, Liam guessed that came with being a surgeon. Liam himself had never really grasped onto the belief fully, much less now with the world the way it is, with the losses he'd suffered...

He heard the spray of the shower stop and a moment later Theo made his way into the bedroom with nothing but a towel hanging lowly over his hips.

Liam gulped. The chimera's chest was dry, but drops fell from his still wet hair and trailed their way over his toned torso in silvery lines.

"All yours," Theo threw another towel at Liam, pulling him from his daze. It felt rough and thin to touch, worn out by years of use and the moths that had propably eaten away at the fabrics edges. 

He stepped under the cool spray and watched dirt swirl down the drain. He scrubbed every inch of skin he could reach with the soap Theo had used instead of the bar he'd taken for himself from the store - it smelt good okay?

He dried and dressed in the bathroom.

_If only certian chimera's had the same courtesy..._

He felt refreshed as he made his way back into the room. Theo wasn't there. 

_Propably with Tess in her room then..._

He tried to occupy himself but you can only count the cracks in a ceiling so many times, right? With a bored huff he shuffled barefoot to Room 6 and knocked.

There was no answer so he pushed the door open and entered anyway. There was no sign of Theo in the room, steam that leaked from cracks in the bathroom door told him Tess had just showered.

Before he had a chance to leave she opened the bathroom door. Liam felt heat rise in his neck to settle for a glow on his cheeks. She had a tattered towel wrapped around her body, wet hair spilling over her shoulders.

For the first time since Liam saw her he realized that she was startlingly pretty. Dark eyes framed by dark wet lashes. He swallowed when his eyes fell to the plump flesh of breasts, nipples hidden behind the towel.

Tess cleared her throat and Liam smelt her amusement, "Can I help you with something?"

"I-No, I uh... thought Theo might be here, which he's not so ah... I'm gonna g-go," he didn't give her time to answer as he hurried from the room, ashamed that she'd caught him staring. 

To make matters worse he bumbed into Theo on his way out. The chimera pushed him away with a scowl, "Get off me! What are you doing?"

He saw Theo's eyes travel over his shoulder to Tess's room and Liam saw a mixture of emotion flash in his steely grey eyes - shock, disgust, disappointment - before the chimera slid his mask back on and went to their room.

* * *

They lay in heavy silence as far apart as the bed would allow. It was so... awkward...

_He obviously thinks I went to see Tess._

Liam would've liked to deny it, but it was pointless. He hadn't had a girlfriend in years. Seeing Tess like that... he swallowed thickly. He knew Theo had smelt his arousal.

_He thinks I slept with her - No, he thinks I went there with the goal to sleep with her but didn't._

He honestly didn't know which was worse.

_Are they a thing?_

Liam wondered for the billionth time since their journey had started. It would be stuoid to think that Theo and Tess hadn't gotton together at some point - even if it was just physical with no commitments. The idea left a sour taste in his mouth.

He listened to Theo's soft breathing beside him. A gust of cool air from the open window caused the hairs on his arms to rise.

"Theo-" he started desperate to end the silence.

"Go to sleep Liam."

"But-"

"Go.To.Sleep."

He sighed and rolled around a bit, trying to get comfortable. His leg kicked out and his Theo in the shin, causing the chimera to hiss.

"S-Sorry-"

Theo heaved a sigh so big Liam was amazed that his lungs could hold so much air, "What's wrong with you?"

"Me? Nothing! Nothings wrong, all fine-" he stammered.

The pinched his nose and closed his eyes. Liam saw tension in his neck and the clenched jaw.

_He's in pain?_

Without much thought Liam rested a hand on Theo's chest, drawing the pain. The chimera gasped at the sudden contact but relaxed when his pain ebbed away.

"Thanks..." he whispered and opened his green orbs. Liam reluctantly removed his hand.

"You're welcome."

_Great, now it's awkward again._

Theo stood up and rummaged through his bag, popping the lid of a bottle and shaking two pills into his open palm. He swallowed them with a large gulp of water. 

Liam narrowed his eyes. Theo had taken wolfsbane capsules - like the one he'd given Liam. 

Theo's golden eyes met his and they stared at each other for a moment. Theo sighed and crawled back onto the bed, laying a bit closer to Liam this time. 

"Okay," he started, "obviously we've got some things to talk about."

Liam faked ignorance, "Like what?"

"Liam, honestly I can hear the questions buzzing in that Bee Brain head of yours. It bothers me. So, let's... talk," he sounded a bit awkward saying the word," so we can get some sleep."

Liam pondered for a moment, wanting to pick the right question in case Theo changed his mind and stopped answering.

"Are you and Tess something?" He blurted and cringed.

_Nice going Liam..._

Theo stilled and snorted a small laugh, the atmosphere lightening with the sound. "No," he answered, "We've never even kissed, we're just partners..."

Liam felt a wave of satisfaction? "Does she know that?" He thought back to the way Tess looks at the chimera, speaks to him.

Theo was silent for a while," There was a time she wanted more, but that was many moons ago." Liam picked up on how he didn't say if  _he_ had wanted more.

"Your loss, she's pretty," he gently bumbed their shoulders together.

Theo chuckled and bumbed him back, "Yeah, but I try not to get attatched to people."

Liam's mood soured a bit.

"What's with you and your strange sleeping habits? You don't sleep for days until you look almost dead on your feet. The wolfsbane capsules?"

Theo made a humming sound and scratched his chest in thought, "I get nightmares."

Liam snorted, "What? Pretty sure you're the scariest monster out there, what could you possibly have nightmares about?"

He regretted his words when he saw Theo flinch, "My time in Hell..."

_Oh. Shit._

"I wake up in a body locker at the morgue in Beacon Hills, every time. I get out and smell the stench of death hanging in the air," Theo swallowed, "I'm alone. Until I'm not... Tara calls out for me, chases me like prey, toys with my head. I'd run, I'd hide, I'd fight back... but she always catches me," he sighed and looked at the ceiling,"Sometimes I'd make it just far enough to think that this time I got away, just far enough for a bit of hope. Sometimes I'm just tired and wait for her to come, to get it over with. She would taunt me after catching me before she'd take back what's rightfully hers..."

He trailed of when his voice grew hoarse with emotion. Liam didn't want him to stop now, he had his walls down and he didn't know for how long so he pressed, "Rightfully hers?"

"My- her heart," Theo's voice wavered, "I'd feel it, her fingers digging into my flesh slowly, her cold grip as she grasps it, how every nerve and fibre tears as she pulls it free. I'd be alive for a small moment after, drowning in blood. And I'd see her look at me the way I'd looked at her all those years ago at the bridge when she died," he blinked as if coming out of a daze," Then I'd wake up back in the morgue and it starts all over again."

Liam was speechless, words flew arpund his head, jumbling and tangling together but offering his tongue none that fit the moment. So he didn't say anything. They lay side by side for long minutes, heavy breathing the only sound.

"My eyes are gold..." he whispered softly. Theo turned his head and raised a questioning brow. "I mean, my eyes are  _still_ gold..."

Theo just watched him and Liam turned his head to lock eyes with the chimera. He tried to find something, anything that indicated what Theo thought - what he felt. He couldn't crack the code to the unreadable mask.

"Why did you leave Beacon Hills without saying goodbye?"

Theo narrowed his eyes and seemed even more closed off, "Why do the Fireflies want you?" the chimera shot back.

Both questions went unanswered.

* * *

_The Next Morning_

"You boys look like shit," Tess pointed out first thing when they emerged from Room 10.

Theo looked like shit and Liam certianly felt like it. Their awkward moment the night before had kept him awake long after Theo was in a drug induced sleep. When he finally did sleep he had wild, confusing nightmares. Mason being the one pinned beneath the table in the restaurant, Theo snapping Liam's neck when he finds the bite, Tess kissing Theo and shooting him in the chest...

They trekked through the abandoned streets slowly, tired in more than just a sleep deprived way. Buildings were vandalised, cars smashed - Liam had lost count how many Firefly propaganda they had passed, sprayed on every surface, etched into trees and written in blood.

They left the town behind to move into grasslands with beech trees growing here and there. A few forgotten vehicles were randomly scattered around the field. They reached a few trees wrapped with barbed wire that reeked of oil so strongly Liam failed to smell anything else and Theo stopped.

"Tess..." he whispered uneasily.

It happened so fast that it left Liam feeling dizzy, brain sluggishly trying to catch up with what his eyez were seeing.

Men dressed in black protective gear armed with machine guns took them by surprise. A complete ambush. They took Theo down first with a sharp kick to the back of his knee. It buckled and gave the man an oppertunity to loop an arm around the chimera's neck, pressing a pistol to his temple roughly.

Liam moved to help but was knocked from behind with the butt of a gun, it left him dazed and he froze when he felt cool metal warning him not to move, pressed to his back.

He saw Tess restrained with her hands behind her head. Liam recognized the emboidery on the man's patch. They were soldiers.

"Don't move!" One of the men shouted.

"Easy, easy, we're just passing through..." Theo gritted from between his teeth trying to hold onto his control. 

"Scan 'em!" The same soldier ordered and the soldier who had leveled Liam with his gun pulled out a scanner, moving to Theo first.

Liam's blood ran cold. 

The scanner peeped from where it was pressed to the chimera's neck, indicating that he was not Infected.

"See? We're not infected, just traveling..." Tess hissed as the man moved to press the scanner against her neck.

_It's over, no more hiding..._

Liam's heart pounded.

"She's clear!" The soldier moved to Liam now, pressing the scanner to his neck.

_It's all out now..._

Liam flicked his claws out and stabbed the soldier in his thigh. All hell broke loose as Theo and Tess struggled to gain the upper hand. Theo smashed a man's skull to pieces against a tree and Tess quickly shot Liam's soldier in the head, ducking for Theo who delivered a death blow to the man behind her, slicing his throat.

All the soldiers were dead. But it was too late. Liam glanced desperatly at the scanner that flashed red, warning that it had picked up an Infected.

He rose to his feet the same time Tess pointed her rifle at his chest.

"Tess!" Theo yelled confused. It hurt Liam.

"He's Infected!" She didn't remove her eyes from her target.

"Please! It's no-"

Theo's eyes grew cold, freezing Liam to the core and cutting him off, "Where is it?"

Liam swallowed heavily and rolled up his sleeve to show them the white scar on his inner arm. It was rough and ugly, you could clearly count the teeth that had bitten into his flesh.

Tess frowned, "It's not bleeding. Its... healed?"

Theo shook his head, "That's not possible, they lied to us! We risked our asses for you!" He spat at Liam.

"Its not what it looks like! This bite," he gestures desperatly to his arm, "It happened more than a month ago! And- and I haven't turned or died! I'm still me!"

Tess tightened her grip on her rifle when Liam tried to take a step closer before throwing Theo an uncertian look, "He would've been dead by now. Or turned."

Theo shook his head disbelievingly and raked his hands through his hair in frustration, "It can't be."

Liam voiced what he'd been sworn to keep silent for the first time, "This is why they want me, the Fireflies. They can use me to find a cure. A - a vacine!"

Tess lowered her gun and looked to Theo uncertianly, silently asking him what to do.

"I'm immune!" Liam shouted at them, voice going high with urgancy.

Theo frowned and stepped up to him, mouth opening to say-

Liam never found out, loud gunshots rang out around them.

 


	5. Sacrifice

_"Fuck!"_ Theo pushed Liam's head down as they ducked behind a stray vehicle, bullets hitting the metal relentlessly.

Theo immediatly looked for Tess, seeing her ducked behind a truck on the far side of the field. Too far for Theo to reach without getting shot.

" _Fuck!"_ he hissed again and picked up several heartbeats flooding his ears. The soldiers had back up. A lot of backup.

Liam's sharp scent of fear and - unsurprisingly - anger flooded his nostrils and he felt overwhelmed.

"What now?!" Liam's blue eyes met his fearfully and Theo couldn't stop himself from growling at him, baring teeth. Liam flinched back in shock, but Theo didn't care.

_He lied to me, now he's going to get us killed._

He glanced back to the town in the distance. It was the only way. Tess must've followed his gaze and yelled, "Fall back to the town! I'll find you!" 

Theo grabbed Liam by the back of his neck and shoved him ahead, "Run!" he shouted as they pelted to the town at full speed, bullets hitting the ground near their feet as they went.

A bullet hit Theo in his lower back and he fell to the ground with a yelp of pain. Liam stopped running and moved to help him up but Theo pushed himself up, "Keep going!"

They neared a house and Theo put on an extra burst of speed as he pushed his body ahead of Liam. He leapt into the air and crashed through the window, landing on the kitchen tiles inside the house.

Liam followed a split second later, glass from the broken window snagging his skin. He landed a few feet from Theo and they lay panting for a while to get their breath back. Theo's lungs burned and his back stung. He rolled over with a loud groan. Liam snapped concerned eyes at him and crawled over, glass biting into his palms.

"Theo! You okay?" 

Theo huffed in both pain and irritation - of course Liam would be stupid enough to ask that. He nodded stiffly, "We gotta move..."

Liam's eyes looked wild, "W-Where to?" He helped Theo to his feet and the chimera immediatly pushed him away.

"Deeper into town, we have to find Tess," he moved through the house stiffly into a small dirty bathroom. He opened the cabinet above the bason, leaving a bloody smear on the mirror. 

"What are you doing?!" Liam hissed at him and Theo decided not to answer as he pulled a pack of "woman essentials" from the cabinet. He tore the pack open with his teeth in haste and twisted to view his back in the mirror, the movement made him groan in pain again. He lifted his shirt, revealing a small bleeding hole just above the waistband of his jeans.

Liam sucked in a deep breath and Theo caught his eyes in the mirror, "Tape, get the tape," he mumbled and Liam dropped to his knees to search his bag, pulling out a roll of duct tape. For a split second Theo thought of Stiles.

He pressed the wad from his mouth to the wound, trying to slow the bleeding. Liam immediatly wrapped the tape around his waist to keep the padding in place. 

He smelled Liam's concern an felt guilty for snapping at him earlier, "I'll be fine, Liam."

"You don't know that! You were shot!" Liam growled angrily and Theo puffed a soft laugh, "Why are you laughing?!"

He shook his head fondly. This wasn't the first time he'd taken a bullet for Liam Dunbar, memories of the War flying through his head. Liam looked at him like he was crazy.

_To be fair, I think I am._

He shook his head in frustration to clear the unwanted memories. He blamed it on the bloodloss. The shock.

_Focus, Theo. Just focus._

"C'mon," he nodded to a door that lead to an ally, "we lost them for now. We have to move quietly, slowly," he paused, "patiently..."

"I can be patient!" Liam whispered defensively.

"Yeah..." Theo led them out of the house and down a few streets, they kept to the shadows. He saw a crooked cellphone tower in the distance. 

_Can't be more than a few yards away..._

He pointed at it, "See that, we need to get there. Tess and I have a rule that if we get seperated we meet up at the tallest building in town."

Liam nodded and finished the thought for him, "So you wanna get up the tower to see which building is the tallest..."

Theo blinked at the beta, causing him to grumble, "What?!"

He gave him a small smile, "Nothing, I'm impressed." He heard Liam's heart skip a beat.

* * *

 

They reached the tower about half an hour later. Theo leant against it panting heavily. Liam swallowed at how pale he looked and squinted to see the top of the tower. 

Making his decicion he carefully put a foot onto the first rusty step of the ladder. Nothing happened so he started to climb. A little way up the ladder creaked under his weight and Liam's heart jumped.

"Careful..." came a soft voice from below. It gave Liam more determination and he climbed faster.

_I need to get Theo somewhere safe, he needs to heal._

He neared the top and risked a look at the ground below him and gulped. He lifted his gaze and looked at the horizon around him, wind ruffling his hair.

_There!_

* * *

Theo sat on the steps that lead to the museum with a huff while Liam pried the planks from the door. He opened the door cautiously and stepped aside for Theo to enter.

The chimera sank to the ground immediatly and Liam hurried to his side only to halt when Theo shook his head, "Barricade the door..."

Liam growled in frustration and hurriedly dragged various items onto a heap in front of the door - chairs, table, broken marble statue...

Satisfied he kneeled by Theo who had his eyes closed. He wrapped his fingers around the chimera's wrist, feeling his fast pulse as he took his pain. Theo visibly relaxed but he still looked bad, pale and clammy.

"Liam," the seriousness in the older boy's voice made him freeze, still holding his wrist, "I need you to get the bullet out..."

Liam had expected as much, but still wasn't thrilled about the task. He nodded as Theo laid on his side, lifting his shirt and removing the padding.

The bullet wound was still bleeding, but Liam felt relieved to see that it was flowing much slower now. He pulled a switchblade from Thel's backpack and cringed. His dad would have a stroke if he saw Liam using a dirty blade, but there was nothing to clean it with. He readied the blade above the wound but stopped. He removed his belt and gave it to Theo to bite on. The chimera gave him a small grateful look.

Liam took a deep breath and slid the blade into the wound.

Theo gave a muffled scream.

* * *

 Hours later Liam sat across from Theo who looked much better already. The wound had already healed. The sun was setting and Tess still hadn't showed. 

Theo tried to push his worry down and looked at Liam. The beta looked startled as their eyes met and blushed. Theo would've smiled - but he was angry.

Liam swallowed uneasily and squirmed under the boy's burning gaze, "What?!" he spat defensively, trying to discourage Theo with his anger. It didn't work.

"You should've told me," he said stiffly.

"What? And have you kill me?" The beta hissed bitterly and Theo wrinkled his own face into an angry expression.

"Kill you? You think I'd kill you?! I've been busting my ass to keep you alive!" He growled in a low voice, resisting the urge to shout.

Laim scoffed, "Wouldn't be the first time you turned on me!"

Theo felt the sting of the words cut deep and snarled, rising to his feet in a defensive crouch. Liam copied his movement and snarled back in defiance.

Just in time a loud rapping on the door drew their attention. Theo smelled Tess and hurried to move the barricade, allowing her to slip through.

She panted like she'd been running for miles, her hair was messy and her face gleamed with a layer of fresh sweat, coating her pale face.

"You're late! What took you so long?" Theo examined her body for injuries, relieved to find only a few cuts ans scrapes.

Tess however had a wild look in her eyes that made Theo's hackles rise, "We need to go!" Tess paced around seeming unable to stand still even though she looked exhausted.

"No, hold up you need to catch your breath..." Theo narrowed his eyes at her trembling hands.

_Something's wrong._

She shook her head wildly," No, the soldiers would've tracked me here!"

Theo growled angrily at her, "You didn't cover your tracks?!"

"No time, no time... we have to go now, yeah?" She nodded as if answering her own question.

"Go where?" Theo asked in an angry menacing tone, pointing to Liam who just stiffened from where he was watching the ordeal, "We're being tricked, this is some kind of hoax that almost got us killed!"

"Its not! I'm not lying!" Liam yelled defensively.

"Shut up! Shut..." Tess held her head, "We gotta get him to the Fireflies...yeah, Marlene would know..."

"What?!" Theo couldn't believe his ears. Had she gone crazy? One of the many things they had in commen was their mutual sense for self preservation.

"Tess? This isn't you..." he said coldly and Liam gasped.

"She's infected..." the beta breathed and Theo looked between him and Tess with dispair, not knowing who to believe anymore.

"Show it to me..." 

Tess's eyes were dark and wide as she pulled her shirt up to reveal a bleeding, rotting bite on her hip. Theo's mind went blank.

This is why. This is why he doesn't get attached to people, why he doesn't get personally involved. Because people leave, and now Tess was going too.

"Do you see, Theo?!" She desperatly asked, "Look at it! It happened not 3 hours ago! Now... now," she made a wild grab for Liam's arm, twisting it to reveal the scar on his arm,"This happened more than a month ago... and mine is already worse!"

Liam yanked his arm away but she kept her eyes locked to Theo's, "This is real, Theo! This could be our only hope!"

Outside a military truck pulled up and soldiers started banging against the door, struggling to open it with the barricade in place. 

"Tess...?" he didn't know what he was asking, what he expected her to do. Because he already knew, he backed away and pushed Liam back with him.

"I won't turn into one of those fucking things, I'll buy you some time," She nodded at him before closing the space between them, locking lips with him in a feverish kiss. He froze in shock and didn't kiss her back.

She retreated with a sad smile, "Go on Big Bad," she cocked her gun and turned her back on the dumbstruck boys.

"No we can't leave you-" Liam started to protest but Theo grabbed his arm and pulled him away, Liam struggled but couldn't break the Chimera's steely grip as he dragged him toward the back of the museum, into an ancient book aisle. Liam would've been interested in the raw pieces of history that were displayed if circumstances were different.

Theo pushed him ahead up some stairs with Liam still fighting his every step, letting out a strangled ,"No!" Just then Theo heard the barricade being forced aside followed by loud curses and gunshots. He pushed Liam further up the stairs onto the second floor when the shots stopped.

They crept toward the railing overlooking the first floor and Theo saw Tess's body, limbs twisted awkwardly with a pool of blood around her. She'd taken out two soldiers. The rest were scanning the perimiter for them.

 _"Shit,_ Liam made a strangled sobbing sound when he saw Tess's body so Theo gently shoved him on, forcing him to move. He heard footsteps thundering up the stairs.

"Stay close," he whispered to the shocked beta and they hid behind a display of Greece daggers about to listen to their heartbeats to get an idea of how many they were up against. 

"F-four..." Liam said from beside him, he cleared his throat, "There are four soldiers..."

Theo gave him a dejected nod and readied himself as a soldier stepped into the room, gun ready. Theo was up in a flash, shoving the man into the wall forcing his shots to go wide and hit the ceiling. 

Behind him Liam snarled as he viciously tackled another man to the floor and attacked his face with clenched fists. Theo heard bone breaking.

"Liam, stop!" The beta ignored him and kept pummeling the man in a blind rage. Theo cursed and slammed the soldier he was still holding against the wall again - once, twice - and dropped his unconcious body to the floor.

He dragged Liam away from his target by his T-shirt and flung him a few feet away. The third soldier surprised him by coming from behind and choked Theo with his rifle. Theo clawed at arms but couldn't break the protective gear to pierce flesh. His lungs started to burn and his lips tinted blue.

He reeled back until they hit the railing and slammed his head through the soldier's helmet and into his face. The impact caused the rotten wood of the rails to break and they both hit the first floor with a heavy thud. The man clutched his bleeding face. Theo drew a pistol from the waistband of his jeans and shot him in the head.

he dropped his gun and cradled his sore throat with shaking hands as he waited for air to fill his lungs again. He looked to his left and met Tess's glassy stare.

He swallowed. He felt strangely numb, which made him feel guilty. He was supposed to be sad, he knew that. She'd been his only ... friend? 

_Man, I'm so screwed up..._

He wondered briefly if the Dread Doctors were to blame for his difficulty with emotions, but he knew that it was just him. 

_Its my nature. I watched my sister die and felt nothing. Now I watched Tess die, still nothing. I'm empty... a shell..._

 He heard a dull thud from the second floor followed by a grunt of effort. A moment later the fourth soldier tumbled down the stairs like a ragdoll. Liam's head popped over the balcony where Theo had fallen through a moment later.

"Theo?" He asked worriedly as he gazed at the chimera who sat on the floor.

Theo sighed, "I'm okay. You?"

Liam hurried down the stairs and wiped his hair back from his sweaty face, "Yeah!" Then he saw Tess next to Theo and he paled.

Theo just rose to his feet and grabbed the beta's wrist, "C'mon Little Wolf..." Liam followed him from the building without protest.

* * *

 

Liam watched the flickering flames intently, events of they day playing through his head like an endless loop. They'd left the town and put as many miles between it and them as they could before Theo finally deemed it safe to stop.

They lit a fire and settled down to rest, wordlessly skipping a meal. Neither of them felt up to eating. Liam saw Theo laying on the opposite side of the fire with his eyes closed, hand resting on his chest. 

Liam could tell he was awake. How couldn't he be?

_He'd lost Tess, who had been his friend and by his side for years when Theo had no one. And its all my fault..._

He tried to pick up Theo's chemosignals but failed, the chimera was masking them expertly, reminding Liam once again of who he was traveling with - a master manipulater.

Here he sat with his enemy-friend in the middle of god knows where, and he had no idea what fate awaited him. 

"Theo?" he asked softly, afraid that breaking the silence would cause something sinister to happen.

"Hmmm?" The chimera hummed in reply but kept his eyes shut.

"I'm sorry about Te-" he began only to be cut off.

"Don't. We're not talking about it," Theo said sternly and still didn't look at Liam.

_But I think we need to..._

Liam dropped the issue for the time being,"Where are we going?"

He held his breath as the silence stretched between them. Theo sighed, "I'm not going back to Sacramento - have no where else to be either..."

Liam swallowed in anticipation and Theo finally met his eyes, "Where do  _you_ want to go Liam?"

Liam blinked in surprise, "To Santa Cruz, I guess..." he mumbled and Theo leveled him with a serious look.

"Why do you want to go to Santa Cruz?"

Liam frowned in confusion. What was Theo talking about? "Cause that's where I'm gonna meet the Fireflies and we-"

Liam hissed in frustration when Theo cut him off again, "The Fireflies. You want to find the Fireflies? They're killers Liam..." he warned.

Liam's anger bubbled, "Yeah well so are you!" Theo just blinked at him with a bored expression.

"But you're not..." Theo added after a pause.

_Only because you stopped me from killing that soldier..._

He didn't say it out loud though, "I don't care. If I can help them to find a cure and save the world then- well then-" he fell silent because he didn't knkw what then.

"Is that what you want? Or are you doing this because its what Scott would want?" Theo asked seriously and Liam felt his mind go blank.

_Huh... haven't thought about it like that._

He supposed he wanted to do it. It was the right thing to do after all. And good guys do the right thing, Liam was a good guy, right?

"Its what I want," he replied steadily.

Theo studied him a while longer before he nodded and shut his eyes again, "We leave at dawn. Get some sleep."

"Leave..?" 

"To find the Fireflies." Theo supplied without a hint of emotion in his voice.


	6. Dyschronometria

_Miles and miles._

_Hours - days - weeks?_

_Moonlight - sunlight - moonlight..._

Liam dwelled behind Theo in a daze, following some invisible trail that didn't seem to decrease in distance no matter how many steps he took. He tried to occupy his mind with small tasks - avoid stepping on the cracks in the tar; walk in rythm with Theo; how many beech trees have we passed by now? Another abandoned car - try to remember the number plate, add it to the list of one's he already memorised.

The days seemed long but still blurred together at the same time. He couldn't feel his feet hurting anymore, calloused skin used to the torture. He didn't feel the constant hunger anymore either. He'd grown used to odd meals as well. 

One thing he couldn't get used to was the thirst. They had to ration their water into small sips a few times a day, sometimes just enough to wet the tip of his tongue. Liam could imagine it evapurating the moment it hit the eager tastebuds.

_How long has it been?_

_Where are we?_

_Does he know where we're going?_

_Do I care if he doesn't?_

Liam squinted to focus on Theo's back, sweat making his shirt cling to his tanned skin. He swayed a bit as he walked, equally exhausted and dehydrated. 

They had been taking turns at night with keeping watch since Tess... well yeah... and Liam was feeling the toll it took on him. Theo must be feeling it worse because sometimes Liam closes his eyes at dusk and woke at dawn - Theo keeping watch the entire night and walking the entire day.

An other thing Liam couldn't get used to was the silence. They hadn't really been talking except for clipped instructions and grunts - they were too tired for much else. 

Theo dragged himself to a stop and Liam stumbled into his sweaty back. He followed Theo's gaze only to see nothing. 

_Great, did he finally lose his mind?_

Then he saw Theo's chapped lips cracking into a small smile, making the skin split and bleed a little. Liam unconviously ran his tongue over his own dry lips as of he could remove the drop of blood from Theo's with the action.

"Theo?" He tiredly asked, the words taking more effort than he had to give.

Theo stumbled off to the right in a clumsy hurried matter and Liam followed him slightly alarmed. 

"Theo!"

Then he heard it.

Slow, peaceful trickling of water over pebbles.

He broke into a run. Theo seemed to hone on Liam's sudden burst of energy and started running himself.

They crashed into the stream simultaniously in a huge splash, sending sprays in wide arches through the air. Liam felt the water drenching his clothes, making him feel heavy yet light at the same time.

Theo's head emerged close by, green eyes glittering as his dark hair was plastered to his face. He was smiling so brightly Liam's heart leapt at the sight.

He didn't think he'd ever seen anything like it. Theo met his eyes and for once Liam didn't feel startled at being caught staring. Instead he broke into a grin himself and Theo's smile grew impossibly wider.

They started laughing. To an outsider they must have appeared completely mad - splashing each other with water still fully dressed - but Liam didn't care. How did the saying go? 

_All the best people are?_

* * *

Theo baked happily in the sun, letting the drops dry from his bare chest and legs. Liam laid a little way off in the same position, also dressed only in his drying boxers. Content flooded from him in waves.

Theo perked his ears as he heard birds chirping. 

_When was the last time I even noticed the birds? Had I ever?_

Neither boy broke the peaceful atmosphere with actions or words, they soaked it up while they could. 

_Because it won't last._

Theo allowed himself a small moment not to care.

* * *

They ended up spending the entire day at the stream - not that Liam was complaining  _at all._

As the sun dipped Theo had trotted off in wolf form. He returned moments later with his mouth overflowing with silver fish. Liam couldn't believe their luck.

"No, here watch me," Theo spoke up for the first time in what felt like days. Liam watched him flick out a claw and slowly drag it up the fish's length, effectively descaling it. Liam frowned down at the mangled mess of skin and scaled he'd made while trying to do the same with his fish.

"I think something went wrong," he pointed out to Theo who chuckled at Liam's mess.

"Okay, give it" he motioned with a clawed hand to the fish Liam still hadn't started with, "before you ruin that one too."

Liam threw the fish at him with a playful growl. Theo caught it easily and started to clean the scales off. Liam quietly started to pack a fire and was happy when it lit with his first try. He caught Theo smiling to himself.

"What?" 

"Nothing, don't know why I'm surprised that the angry beta knows how to start a fire..." he chuckles at his own joke and Liam couldn't stop his own smile.

"Shut up!" he growled playfully. He watched the flames dance across Theo's face. He had bags under his eyes and his stubble had grown into a scruffy beard. Liam expected he didn't look much better. Theo's white teeth flashed in a smile.

"Seriously, where did you learn to build a campfire? The Boy Scouts?" He snorted and Liam only grinned back proudly. Theo's jaw dropped slightly, "No way! You were a scout?"

"Hey! Why is that so hard to believe?" 

Theo shrugged and shoved a sharpened stick through a fish, "Don't know. Doesn't really seem like camping and s'mores are your thing."

"Oh, trust me! It wasn't!" Liam exclaimed, "I quit after the second day... well I might've been kicked out, I think it was a mutual decision..." 

"Why did they kick you out?" Theo handed him his own stick with a fish on it and Liam scowled at the slimey body as he held it above the flames.

"There was this stupid contest where we had to find stupid flags in the stupid woods," he twirled the stick, "Anyway, this stupid kid got to the flag before me... so I hit him in his stupid face. The Scouts told my mom they didn't tolerate voilence. It was..."

"Stupid?" Theo suggested as he snorted out a loud laugh.

"Yeah," Liam laughed with him and brought his fish up to his face to inspect it. It was charred black on the outside but when Liam picked the burnt part away he saw still raw white flesh underneath, "Euw..."

Theo laughed again and took the stick from Liam, "God you really are clueless aren't you Little Wolf?" He picked off all the burnt flesh and held the raw flesh above the flames, twirling the stick slowly.

Liam frowned defensively, "Maybe I was going for sushi!"

"By the look you had on your face I doubt it," Theo snorted.

"Yeah, well sushi's gross..." 

"Wouldn't know," Theo murmured and handed Liam his now cooked fish.

"Seriously?" Liam blinked at him in suprise, "You've never tried sushi?"

"It's not like the Dread Doctors were fans of providing me with a menu Liam," Theo mumbled around a mouthful of fish.

Liam ate his fish in silence for a while, chewing the juicy flesh for as long as possible to make the taste last. He saw Theo's long lashed cast shadows over his sharp cheekbones.

"We'll just have to go then."

Theo eyes him questioningly so he added, "To a sushi place, y'know after I've saved the world and all..."

"I thought you just said you hate sushi?"

"Yeah, well I'll just have to push through it I guess," he grinned happily at the chimera who had an unreadible expression.

* * *

Liam laid as he watched Theo struggle to shave his beard with a swithblade and chuckled when the chimera cut himself and let out a small curse.

Theo looked at Liam disapprovingly, "Get over here and make youself usefull for once, Idiot."

Liam sat across from him and took the blade. The flames cast a dim light so he had to use his wolf eyes to see. His swallowed awkwardly when Theo met his eyes with his own golden orbs, the air felt suddenly thick. He gently tipped Theo's chin back and started to drag the blade along his jaw.

He tried to focus solely on his task and was almost done when he noticed Theo's Adam's apple bobbing up and down as the older boy swallowed thickly. Instead of focusing on what he was doing he followed the vein that ran down Theo's neck.

"Ouch," Theo grumbled when Liam nicked his skin.

Liam caught the drop of blood with his thumb, "Baby," he commented before moving back to inspect his work eyeing Theo's smooth skin and chisled jaw.

"Okay, sit down," Theo motioned for Liam to take his place.

"W-what? No I'm not gonna let you shave me!"

"Why not?" Theo ran a hand over his smooth cheeks.

"Uhm..." Liam drew out the sound while looking at Theo with a  _isn't it obvious_ espression, "1) I'm gonna grow it out and 2) I'm not letting you near me with a knife."

Theo's eyebrows climbed high in an amused expression, "Liam, you look rediculous."

At Liam's offened frown be added, "It's not even a beard. Its more like...  _peachfuzz."_

Liam's hand flew up to touch the softness sprouting from his face, "Is not!" Followed by, "Really?"

Theo nodded, "Really," and motioned for him to sit. Liam obliged with a sigh.

He instinctivly tensed when Theo brought the blade to his throat. Theo stilled and briefly met Liam's eyes before looking away just as quickly. Liam thought he saw hurt in the green orbs and felt instantly guilty for flinching.

"Sorry..." me muttered as Theo cupped his jaw gently. It was strange - that someone as ruthless could be equally as gentle.

"Its okay," Theo mumbled and Liam tried to stay relaxed as the chimera's warm breath ghosted across his face. They stayed quiet in a tense silence while the blade drew across his skin a steady rythm, not nicking him once.

When he was done Theo broke the silence," Done, now for the hair," he said with a glint in his eye.

* * *

 

They'd reluctantly left their camp the next day, but Liam felt much more refreshed and he could tell Theo was better too. He unconciously ran a hand through his cropped hair.

"It looks fine Liam," Theo said without looking at him. 

"How'd you know what I was doing? You weren't even looking!" He accused.

Theo shrugged with a smug expression, "I'm  _all aware."_

"You're weird."

"I'm smart."

"Where are we going?" Liam asked as he kicked a pebble into the trickling stream to his right.

Liam watched a bead of sweat running down Theo's neck from his own freshly cut hair. He looked good. 

Theo sighed, "I know there's a town around here somewhere..."

"So... you don't know where we're going then," Liam supplied and caused Theo to let out an irritated huff.

"I  _know where we're going!_ I just - don't know where are exactly..." Theo added the last bit  quickly as if saying it fast would make him feel less embarassed.

Liam snorted, "So this town that's -  _somewhere -_ why are we going there?"

_Last time we entered a town we left leaving someone behind..._

"Cause, there'll be stores with supplies that we  _really_ need," Theo hopped over a narrow part of the stream, " plus I need a map."

Liam jumped over at the same spot only to slip slightly and plunge his foot into the stream. He shook it angrily sending drops spraying as he cursed. Theo stopped and eyes him with an amused twitch of his mouth.

"Shut up..." he grumbled and Theo help up his hands defensively.

"Didn't say anything..."

"So if you don't know where the town is - how do you know we're going the right way?"

Theo pointed to the stream and Liam shot it an angry glare, still mad about his soaked foot, "River flows down that way," Theo pointed at the direction they'd come from," Which means there's gotta be a dam of some sort that way," he pointed confidently in the direction they were going.

"Okay..." Liam frowned in confusion, " _Why_ is that important?"

"I can see you really weren't much of a boy scout," Theo grumbled getting irritated with Liam's nagging questions.

Liam sighed loudly and dragged his feet loudly to annoy the chimera even more.

"Okay, look here," Theo halted with an annoyed huff pointing to the sides of the stream, "See the way the vegetation thickens in the way we're going?"

Liam nodded - the various plants were indeed thicker here than it was down at the spot where they'd been resting. Ferns, moss and ivy sprouted from the ground in luscious green strokes.

"That means there's more water ahead - the dam like I said - that's why there are more plants. The town will be closeby because the people would've wanted the best location to grow their crops," Theo explained.

Liam widened his eyes in understanding.

_Wow, that's like... Stiles smart._

He knew Theo was clever, besides the obvious manipulation skills and witty humour he'd spent his entire childhood with the Dread Doctors - Liam could only imagine what Theo had learned from them, even if the idea also made him cringe inwardly.

He didn't say how impressed he was though , no need for him to inflate his ego even further he thought and just muttered a quiet, "Wow..." at Theo's back.

* * *

 

> **Welcome to HighStream**
> 
> **Population : ~~504~~  0**

Liam frowned at the scrawled out numbers. He raised a brow at Theo, "I hope the population stayed that way..." he mumbled, not in the mood to run into any unexpected soldiers or worse, infected.

They entered the ghost town and it wasn't a surprise to find it in the same state as all the previous places they'd visited. It was small, making Beacon Hills look huge in comparison. There were a few traffic signs and Liam only counted 4 abandoned cars.

_They probably had to evacuate..._

The shops were simple, no grand franchises. They were cleary owned by local people who tried to make a living in the small town. 

Theo stopped him with a hand on his chest and handed him his pistol, which Liam took uncertianly.

"You've shot before," Theo nodded at him encouragingly. 

"I fired a Ghost Rider pistol like once!" He protested and shoved the gun back at Theo, who merely rolled his eyes and shoved it back.

"We're splitting up to cover more ground and I don't want to find you with a hole in that dumb head of yours," Theo poked him in the centre of his forehead and Liam stared at him with wide eyes spluttering for a suitable comeback.

" _Fuck you, Raeken!"_ he settled on instead when he couldn't come up with anything better. Theo just flipped him off and walked away.

Liam stood there stupidly for a few minutes.

 _I'm alone..._ He hadn't been alone since the night Scott found him in the mall. The night he was bitten. The night Mason died.

He sighed in dispair, "Great, I can't even be alone for ten minutes without getting depressed... and now I'm talking to myself, also great."

He started fo inspect the closest store, quickly leaving when he saw broken porcelyn faces with black beady eyes and caught the broken sign :  _ **Anne's Dollhouse**_  from the corner of his eye. 

_Who would be crazy enough to buy one of those things?!_

He found another store and entered it after checking the sign first this time, it was a simple bookstore with only a few books on shelves and stationary by the till. He picked through the books, most heavy with water damage and mold. He stepped on an open dictionary on the ground and kneeled to inspect the open page, his eye catching the first word printed in bald.

" _Dys-chrono-metria?"_ he spelled out the word.

 

> _**Dyschronometria -** condition of cerebellar dysfunction in which an individual cannot accurately estimate the amount of time that has passed (i.e., distorted time perception). It is associated with cerebellar ataxia, when the cerebellum has been damaged and does not function to its fullest ability. _

Liam frowned at the medical term and thought of Dr Geyer. He hadn't thought about his parents in a long time, with good reason. He focused on the word again. 

_Cannot accuratly estimate the amount of time that has passed... I feel like that sometimes._

He continued scanning shelves finding nothing usefull - unless Theo would find a cookbook usefull when he grilled the small animals he caught for them. Liam somhow doubted that he'd be impressed.

He paused by the stationary and felt extremely pleased to see a map of california. He grabbed two maps and a few highlighters and pens, throwing them into his bag before leaving to show Theo his prize.

* * *

 

Theo was rummaging through drawers in a small pharmacy, looking flushed as he tossed odd items over his shoulder. A roll of gauze rolled to a stop at Liam's foot. 

"Uh, Theo?" 

Theo ignored him and pulled several drawers from their hinges and sending their items scattered on the floor. Liam knew enough about medicine from David and noticed how Theo ignored the rest of the pharmacy that had a few odd items of Schedule 1 and 2 on the shelves and focused only on the Schedule 5 to 7 medicine drawers.

"Theo?"

Liam ducked just in time as the chimera threw an empty drawer at his head.

"Dude!" He yelled as the drawer crashed through the window behind him.

Theo stopped searching and sank to the floor in defeat with his head in his hands. Liam crouched by a bottle of anticeptic and he picked it up carefully.

"Some of these things could come in useful," he listened to the heavy breathing that filled the room, "but I have a feeling that you weren't looking for anticeptic, were you?"

Theo sighed and thudded his head backward to rest on a shelf, "No, I wasn't..."

Liam nodded before sliding over to sit against the shelves himself, not close to Theo though. He was still wary of the remaining drawers that could be thrown at him.

"Those injections you take sometimes...?"

"Morphine," Theo confirmed, " I'm almost all out."

Liam frowned at him in disapproval, "Theo you can't just olay with that stu-"

"Play?" he huffed with a humourless laugh, "This is no game Liam. I need it."

"Why?"

"The nightmares..." 

_Oh... right, I forgot he had those..._

"I keep myself awake as long as possible, but I need to sleep. The wolfsbane pills don't help enough, but the morphine knocks me out," he explained," Knocked out Theo equals no Tara..."

"Oh..." Liam said dumbly and they sat in silence until Theo rose to his feet.

"Grab whatever you think we can use," with that the chimera left.

 


	7. Santa Cruz

_"_ Well,  _shit..."_ Liam's voice broke the tense silence that filled the night air, "Now what?"

Theo eyeballed the tunnel with distaste, "It's a shortcut," his golden orbs tried to see beyond the darkness, how far the tunnel went.

He stepped back and let his eyes trace the grimy bricks that led to the bridge that was several metres above their heads. 

He picked up Liam's unease and the faint smell of fear, but when he looked at his face he saw hardened determination.

_So much like Scott..._

Theo, however was nothing like Scott and he was feeling very happy about that at the moment - not at all eager to do something stupidly brave and charge into the looming tunnel. Instead he felt the texture of the slimey stone.

He picked at it lightly with his claws and grimanced when algae packed tightly to his nailbeds, "Too slippery to climb..." he mused.

Liam's unease turned into irritation, "Let's just go!"

Theo ignored him, "We could go around, but that might take days. It'll throw me off track..."

His thoughts were silenced as Liam stomped into the tunnel mouth loudly. He made a wild grab for the back of the beta's shirt and tugged him back roughly, "Liam! What are you doing?"

"I'm going! Cleary its the only option!" Liam growled in annoyance and shook himself from Theo's clawed hold, "You tore my shirt!"

Theo hesitated - while it wasn't the  _only_ option, it seemed like the better one. But definately not the wiser one. 

He sighed heavily and contemplated going around again but cringed at the idea of walking further than needed. 

 _This journey is getting tedious. The faster its over - the better._  

"Okay, but stay close," he decided.

"I know I know..." Liam mumbled petulantly.

"I'm serious Liam!" He kicked at the rusty traintrack that disappeared into the tunnel, "You see this? It means there was a train, which means there were people. People that are now either dead or Infected!"

Liam's fear scent spiked but his face looked even more determined, "We'll be careful."

_Scott look at the idiot you've raised._

* * *

 Their hollow footfalls echoed in the tunnel as they crept forward with glowing eyes. 

_So far so good..._

Theo tried to stay positive, but the total lack of noise threw him off.

_No rats._

_That means no dead bodies._

_Which could either mean we're extremely lucky - or that the bodies weren't dead..._

Theo hoped for the former but knew enough to expect the latter anyway. At least Liam was being suprisingly quiet. 

They walked for a few more minutes when he heard it - clicking. He pushed Liam to the grimey wall and the beta grimanced when a bug fell om his shoulder and squirmed to get if of.

He met Theo's eyes with worry, "Clickers?" 

Theo nodded stiffly. He tried to tell how many there were but the individual clicking noises merged into one jumbled noise, making it impossible. 

_Too late to turn back now._

He flicked his claws out and heard Liam mimicing the action. He crept forward slowly until they rounded the slight bend in the tunnel. The smell of spores tickled his nose.

He heard Liam's breath hitch from where he was crouched next to Theo. 

_He sees them._

He pressed a hand to Liam's mouth when the beta moved to speak, motioning for him to stay silent. Clickers were blind, but far from deaf.

There was a broken train cart on its side and Theo pulled Liam with him, ducking behind it. He peered around it slowly.

There were three. They clicked and twitched as they moved with jerking stiff movements - but Theo knew just how fast they could be in persuit of prey. Large fungal scabs covered their skin and flaked from their faces - a vibrant orange and white colour. 

_Three... right. Okay, we can do this._

We tried to indicate to Liam that they were going to sneak passed them and fought the urge to huff in fustration.

 _What?_ Liam motioned and Theo repeated his movement, jerking his hands in gestures.

 _Oh!_ Liam nodded his understanding and Theo rolled his eyes. He was used to Tess who understood the smallest of hints he gave.

They crept by the cart in silence, feet light as air. Theo held his breath as they neared the Clickers and passed them without being noticed. He breathed a slight sigh of relief.

It was short lived.

He halted and Liam bumbed into his back. He saw the faint movement as he squinted through the darkness. The smell of spores were stronger now and Theo saw why.

It was a body similar to the one they'd seen at the grocery store in Greenberg - the figure's shape framed by fungus. That wasn't the problem. The problem was the second figure leaning over the first, hands going to its mouth as it pressed rotten flesh down its throat. It made Theo feel quasy. When the thing squaled his blood froze.

It wasn't a Clicker. It was a Runner.

_Don't see us. Don't see us. Please don't fucking see us._

His prayers didn't help. Liam softly gagged behind him when the Runner shoved another mouthful of flesh into its face and it stilled.

_Fuck._

The Runner looked up and screeched a warning. A second later it was answered by similar screeches as the three Clickers ran to meet the warning call.

"Liam, run!" Theo pushed Liam ahead of him and the beta stumbled before righting himself. Their feet pounded on the concrete loudly now, followed by loud screeches as the Infected persued them.

"We can't outrun them!" He gasped, the hair on his neck stood on end. He saw faint light as the tunnel mouth came into view.

 _Perfect timing,_ he thought bitterly before pushing his heels hard to the ground, stumbling to a clumsy halt as he spun around with a loud roar.

"What are you doing?!" Liam yelled franticly but didn't hesitate to ready himself for battle, not letting the chimera fight alone. It would've been heartwarming under different circumstances.

Theo didn't wait for the lead Clicker to reach them as he leapt at it. Since it couldn't see he caught it off guard and wrestled it down roughly. 

Liam slammed into the second Clicker and raked his claws at its chest, sending fungal scabs flying. Theo grabbed the things skull and slammed it into the train track with as much force as he could muster. The bone split and sent rotten goo splattering onto the concrete and Theo's face. He didn't have time to be grossed out as the third Clicker and the Runner charged at Liam who was still stuggling to hold his own.

He tackled the Runner next, hooking his claws under its chin and let his fingers slip into the soft flesh. He yanked his hand out and dropped the body before rounding on the Clicker with a snarl. It screeched in reply before charging. Theo met it mid way.

"Theo!" Liam's frantic yell drew his attention for a brief moment. He saw Liam on his back trying to keep the snapping Clicker jaws at bay. Theo felt the air next to his head move as the Clicker used his distraction to its advantage, its jaws clamping on empty air.

Theo stumbled backward in shock at the close call and fumbled with the gun in his waistband. Before he managed to hook it his breath was knocked from his lungs as the Clicker pushed him down. He distantly heard a bang through his ringing ears and felt claws searing across his chest before he managed to get his hand up and around the decaying thoat, pushing it back with a grunt of effort.

A loud bang echoed through the tunnel and the Clickers skull exploded, spilling goo everywhere. Theo gasped in shock before looking at Liam. The barrel of the gun in the beta's trembling hand was still smoking.

He pushed himself up and they stumbled out of the tunnel and into the light. He grabbed at Liam, "You okay?" he examined a long cut that ran down Liam's face, "Liam?"

"I'm okay!" The beta gasped for breath before he met Theo's worried gaze, "I'm okay!"

Theo nodded in relief and let him go, letting his hands drift to pat at his wounded chest lightly. Liam's eyes widened but Theo quickly brushed him off, "Its fine, its shallow."

"Did - Did it bite you?" Liam's voice quivered.

Theo swallowed thick saliva, "No, no. I'm alright." Liam flung arms around his neck and Theo grunted with the impact. The hug was over as fast as it started. Liam pushed himself away shyly.

Theo blinked at him in shock, brain slow as adrenaline left his body.

"You're covered in gross stuff," Liam pointed out and Theo wiped some goo from his face.

"Yeah," he shook his hand to get the goo off. They locked eyes, both still breathing heavily.

"Good thinking," he told Liam who looked suprised at the compliment, "Took you long enough," he added quickly to lessen the impact of his previous words.

Liam scowled at him, "Dick."

"Hey," Theo nodded for Liam to turn around, "We made it." In the distance was a large city - Santa Cruz.

"We made it," he repeated in disbelief as he ran a hand through his sticky hair.

* * *

 "Where do you think they are?"

"I don't know Liam, you're the Firefly trophy - you tell me?" He snapped bitterly and kicked a stray can across the street.

Propaganda was sprayed onto various surfaces in a wide array of colors.

  _ **Seek the Light!**_ _ **Join the Fireflies, fight for freedom!**_

Theo snorted and flung a rock at the wall, "We're trying!" he yelled in frustration. His anger masking deeper emotions - fear, disappointment.

They turned another corner and halted in front of a body. Theo crouched by it and to his dismay found it to be fresh. He grabbed the glinting chain hanging from its neck and yanked it free. 

             _ **Firefly #13020**_

> _**Travis Miller** _
> 
> _**07.11.1989** _

He handed the tag to Liam wordlessly, looking at the body as if it held all the answers.

_Where are your friends?_

Liam's emotions almost choked him, "Let's keep going," he said in a strained voice and stuffed the tag into his pocket. It made Theo raise a brow but he didn't question it.

They kept walking aimlessly, passing upturned cars and gloomy buildings. Theo checked the second story windows - half expecting a Firefly to peek out at them and half hoping for it.

Liam cupped his hands around his mouth an yelled loudly, "Hello?!" 

Theo winced. He would'be scolded Liam for being loud, for attracting possible danger and giving their location away. He really would've. Hell, he should've. But he couldn't bring himself to do it as he quickly glanced at Liam's dejected yet still hopeful face.

_Of course he's still hopeful, he really does take after you Scott._

Thunder rumbled loudly and Theo tipped his head back, coming to a stand still as he let Liam wander ahead without him. He filled his lungs with cool crispy air and let the smell of rain flood his senses. 

_Well, True Alpha, what the fuck do we do now?_

He closed his burning eyes as the first faint drops dizzled onto his face. Lightning cut the thick grey clouds to shreds before another wave of thunder rumbled so loudly Theo imagined the ground vibrating beneath his feet.

He heard Liam howl somewhere in the distance. It was a desperate and angry sound. Theo sighed and stalked alowly to where the noise had come from, lacking the energy and motivation to walk faster. 

He found Liam hunched over two more bodies. Theo smelt blood and dropped his gaze to Liam's fists, claws piercing the skin of his palms and drawing blood that dripped sluggishly from the two tags Liam held onto tightly, knuckles white.

More dead Fireflies.

Rain pattered onto the tar faster now and Theo saw tire marks in a wide black arch. He left Liam once more and padded to follow the tracks. They stopped when he reached a military truck that was upturned onto its side, oil leaking onto the tar. A few mangled bodies were crushed beneath it.

_Soldiers. They attacked the Fireflies._

Theo pieced the puzzle together when he saw an unlit molotov in a dead soldiers hand. He imagined the arch it would've made, how far it could've traveled through the air with human strength. His eyes settled on a barbed fence. 

He walked up to it only pausing briefly to read the painted block letters on the tar - huge and white. 

> _**Quarintine Zone** _

He ducked through a hole in the fence, barbs caught his skin and caused him to wince before pressing through all the way. He swallowed as he saw black boots. He rounded the corner just as lightning split the sky again, illuminating the mass grave of bodies in front of him.

He crouched by the closet one and completed the puzzle in his head as he toyed with the tag around the youn woman's neck absentmindedly. All of them were Fireflies. All of them were dead. 

He kicked the bodies apart lightly, separating them so he could see each clearly, inspecting them briefly. Rain was washing the blood and gunpowder away, something he was glad for. It eased the sight a bit, making it seem less brutal and more serene. 

He kept going until he saw a Firefly nailed to a lamppost. His feet and hands were tied with wire and his face was pale with death. The bullethole between the man's dull eyes wasn't bleeding anymore. Theo tipped his head to the side as he examined the face. Its lips were tinted blue and its tongue lolled from its mouth. 

_He was stangled to death. Then shot in the head. Maybe to confirm the kill? No, to send a message._

Theo plucked the man's tag from his neck.

> **_Firefly Lieutenant #0043_ **
> 
> **_Jacob Ripley_ **
> 
> **_12.04.1972_ **

_They strung him up because of his rank._

Theo grabbed the body and yanked it from the pole harshly, the wires didn't snap and instead cut through the flesh, leaving hands and feet still on the pole.

Theo patted his body down, searching pockets - empty. He rolled his eyes. The soldiers had already emptied his pockets. Theo removed his boots next, finding nothing tucked inside. He grimanced at the lolling tongue and sighed before gripping the man's jaw and dislocating it. 

It opened much wider now, allowing easy access and Theo inspected the yellowed teeth, finding what he was looking for on a wisdom tooth. A black letter Theo couldn't quite identify through the rain. He slid his hand into the gaping mouth and pulled the tooth out. It came loose easily with a sting following behind it, tied to a small rolled up piece of paper. 

_Fake teeth, original._

He carefully unrolled the small paper to reveal even smaller coordinates printed onto it.

* * *

 The storm that raged outside was loud and unforgiving, rain blew in through the cracked planks that were used to board up the windows. Hail clattered loudly outside only silenced every now and then by another loud rumble of thunder.

The weather matched Liam's mood perfectly. He sat scowling at the tags he'd laid out on the floor in front of him. There were only three, but when he went to where Theo had wandered off to the chimera had ushered him away quickly. Liam had a feeling it was Theo's way of sparing him an even more gruesome sight. He didn't know if he felt grateful or angry that Theo though he couldn't handle it - especially after the fight with the Infected.

_But I can't handle it, can I? Who am I kidding. I'm used to Beacon Hills. To having friends and family everywhere I go. To have Scott and the Pack protecting me._

_Even at Military school I kept clinging to them. Now..._

He turned his arm to look at the white scar in distaste.

 _This is the second **unwanted** life altering bite I've received._ 

He allowed himself to wallow for the first time in weeks. He missed his parents who were probably worried sick about him. He missed Scott, Malia, Stiles and Lydia. He missed Mason. 

_Will I ever find Corey to tell him about Mason? Will I find Stiles to deliver Scott's letter?_

He glanced at the chimera who sat at the opposite wall, his face was deep in concentration.

_I dragged you out here. Its my fault Tess died, and now I'll probably get you killed too. And it was all for nothing. The Fireflies are dead._

Theo sat hunched over a map with a pencil Liam had taken from the stationary section in the bookstore, he quietly murmured to himself, too low for Liam to hear. 

_What's he doing?_

Liam watched him with tired eyes as Theo unconciously bit his lower lip, a slight frown crinkled between his brows and Liam felt a sudden urge to smooth it away.

Theo didn't even notice him staring as he pulled the other map from Liam's pack and folded it. He used it to draw a straight line with the pencil across the map open on the floor. He looked at it before turning the makeshift ruler horizontally and drawing another line, still chewing his lip.

"Stop staring at me Liam," he mumbled absentmindedly.

_Oh, so he did notice._

"What are you doing?" 

Silence. More lip biting.

Liam let out a rough breath of frustration. Not at Theo - not really. But he was frustrated all the same. He growled lowly, "Why are you still here? No one is left alive to deliver your precious guns, so just leave me and get it over with!"

Theo bit the end of his pencil and mumbled around it, "Is that what you want? For me to leave?"

"What kind of a question is that?! It doesn't matter what I want! Because it always blows up in my face!"

"Pity..." Theo drew another line on the map, the sound of pencil on paper making Liam snap.

"Just get the fuck out of here!" He screamed and saw Theo's shoulders tense. Happy that he was getting a reaction he continued, "You did your  _job_ \- you got me to Santa Cruz - you served your purpose, now  ** _leave_**!" Liam snarled.

Theo looked at him with an unreadable expression, his eyes were cold. So cold it chilled to the bone. 

"Liam," he growled warningly, "Shut up."

"No! You are so stupid! Hanging around me even after Tess died? Ha - guess you're not as smart as the Dread Doctors made you to be!" 

Theo rose to his feet and stomped out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

 


	8. Amen Omen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Song for the chapter:
> 
> Ben Harper's Amen Omen

Liam woke to sunlight filtering through the wooden boards covering the windows. He sat up slowly, his body stiff from the strange position he'd curled up in to fall asleep. He gasped in pain as he rolled his neck, trying to work out the kink.

He'd dreamt of his home. Of waking up in his bed to familiar posters of famous lacrosse players and bands stuck to his walls and the smell of bacon teasing his nose. He could hear his mother humming happily in the kitchen amd smell the black coffee that David had most likely made for himself. He'd been about to get out of bed when he was pulled back to reality.

He gazed at the empty room with its rotten floorboards and peeling paint. He was alone. Of course he was. He'd pushed Theo away, why would he expect him to come back after what he'd said to him? He rubbed at his cheeks, skin dried out from the salty tears.

He grabbed his bag and left the room, taking the stairs two at a time until he was on the ground floor again. He wandered around a bit. Eventually he went outside and was met with warm sunlight. It was a complete contrast to the stormy night before.

He considered going back to the place Theo had ushered him away from - to see it for himself - but decided against it.

Instead his eyes landed on and old record store and his feet carried him there. Various CD's were stacked on dirty shelves, a few of them broken on the floor - most likely trampled. He smiled softly at the posters that were peeling from the walls, some still recognizable - The Beatles, ACDC, Ed Sheeran, Rihanna, Queen. He wondered what happened to all of them. Were they dead? Somehow the idea of an Infected Rihanna and Justin Bieber formed in his head and it looked absolutely rediculous.

His eyes drifted to tapes stacked at the back of the store and forced his feet to move. For the first time since that night that had changed everything Liam drew the walkman that Mason had given him from his bag. He removed the tapes he'd taken that day as well and spread them all around him. He pushed aside the tapes he knew he wouldn't enjoy and replaced them with new tapes from the store. He put in the first tape he could reach and pressed play. It was a song he didn't know, but he played it even though it was sort of sad. He put the remaining tapes in his bag and left.

He walked while listening to the music until he reached a comic book store. He entered and found it almost in good condition - if you ignored the water stains and the dust.

_No need for comic books when the world is ending I guess._

He paid little attention to the comics and more to the action figures lined up on a desk - Hulk, Iron Man, Blackpanther, Venom, Spiderman, Batman, The Green Goblin, Sandman.

_Heroes an villians. I don't feel like much of a hero anymore. Theo doesn't seem like a villian anymore either. Was there a grey area?_

His stomach rumbled loudly and he sighed. He saw an old milkshake diner and a Quickmart to the left so he went inside. 

* * *

 A garbage can moved and a skinny cat sprang out, hissing at Theo before running away. He'd been sitting on a park bench ever since Liam had forced him to leave, not risking sleep. 

 _ **Cruz Memorial Clinic**_ hadn't had any morphine or something similar, not that he expected it to. He knew he was down to half a vail and then he would just have to learn to cope without it. He didn't want to check the hospital...

The grass and trees in the park were overgrown and the playgym looked rusty and unsteady, swings moving slightly in the breeze. When the sun had started to rise he stood up and walked in a random direction.

He saw a billboard - what was left of it anyway - depicting a deer with a bullseye on its head in peeling paint.

> _**Hunting season!** _

"Its always hunting season..." he muttered and followed the direction the painted arrow pointed to. He quickly found the gunstore and peeked inside. All of the shelves and display cases were empty but he entered anyway. His boots kicked at stray ammo on the floor and he saw dried blood in small flaking drops on the tiles. He could just picture civilians fighting and wrestling for the life saving items only to have them spill to the floor from their torn boxes, forgotten.

He saw a rack with hats - most were silly cowboy hats made from hide with dangling tassles that just screamed  _Wild West._ He rolled his eyes and plucked several hats from their pegs and delved until he found regular looking camo caps. He took one and put it on, it was a perfect fit and would offer some much needed protection from the sun. He hesitated before shoving a second cap into his bag. 

Nothing else noteworthy seemed to be in the store, except for some pipe cleaners. Anyone else would've left accepting that the store had nothing better to offer, but Theo Raeken wasn't just anybody. He walked to the back of the store to the area that was meant to store spare supplies. He grinned at the heavy metal safe that sat on in the middle of the floor.

It had several scratches and deep grooves which he expected were made by the spanners and bent crowbar on the floor.

_Idiots couldn't crack it..._

He laid is palm against the cool metal, "You and I are gonna spend some time to get to know each other," he patted it with a smirk.

* * *

 Liam crunched loudly on a mouthful of dry oats unhappily.

_Like chewing tree bark, disgusting._

His nose picked up a savoury scent and he sniffed his way to a single packet of beef jerkey.

 _Fantastic!_ He opened his mouth and brushed the dry bark - oats - from its surface hastily before he went to tear open the pack. He hesitated and gave a longing groan before putting it in his bag.

_I'll give it to Theo as an apology later when he comes back. Because he's gonna come back. He's just bluffing._

He stuffed another mouthful of tasteless dryness into his mouth.

* * *

 Theo entered a bookstore and scanned the shelves with little interest. His feet made a slushing sound on the waterlogged carpet.

He paused and turned his head to the side as if his subconcious had already registered what was sitting on the shelf. He scowled at the small damaged paperback that depicted the Dread Doctors on the cover. He took it and ran his thumb over its yellowed pages. A few came loose and drifted to the floor.

He paged through it a bit without really reading before closing it to examine the cover once more. He ran his thumb gently over each of the three horrific faces.

_Paperback really doesn't do you guys justice, you're much worse in real life._

He touched a thumb lightly over each face.

The Surgeon - Who'd cut him open and flayed him to display his insides while Theo bit his tongue through screams as he felt every nerve alive with fire, trying not to pass out as he watched him remove organs to examine them closely before he was stiched back together neatly. It was from him that Theo learnt anatomy through up close disections and picking the body apart after the victem had died, laying it out piece by piece before putting it back together with perfect stitches. 

The Pathologist - Who'd drained litres and litres of blood from his veins, who'd injected countless burning liquids into him that made his cells burn with fire. Also the most patient of the three, teaching Theo with great detail from the smallest strand of DNA to the most major organs.

The Geneticist - Who'd been more of a mother to him than the woman who'd given birth to him. She taught him endless skills in the lab through gruesome experiments, the chemistry behind each and every thing, the science of emotions. She also taught him how to cook easy meals and how to behave to fit into society. She was also quick to lose patience and chain him down with clever punishments - never the same one - if he'd failed a task or gotten on her nerves.

He remembered the Beast slaying them, the empty feeling he felt at the sight. There had been no relief because he didn't have to fear their wrath any longer. Also no sadness for losing the closest thing he had to family. It was quite... anti-climatic.

He flicked his lighter to life, drawing the tiny flame over the edges of the crinkled pages. He watched it burn slowly, watched the faces disappear one by one - now ash on the ground. 

_If only it was that easy to erase the horrors that plague my mind, to erase myself. To become ash - drifting in the wind._

* * *

 

  _He's not coming back._

Liam had returned to the place they'd slept the night before in case Theo came looking for him. 

_But he's not looking, is he?_

Liam sighed and drew lines into the soft wood of the floorboards.

_Well done, Liam._

_You're truely alone now..._

* * *

Theo could smell Liam's distress and dispair as he looked up at the building they'd sheltered the night before. An owl hooted from somewhere above him.

_He's so dramatic._

He rolled his eyes and cupped his hands around his mouth, "LIAM!"

* * *

 

Liam was up and outside in a heartbeat. His heart lurched at the sight of the chimera scowling at him and relief enveloped him like a wave.

"You came back!"

Theo curled a lip at him and sneered,"I never left Dumbass, you ready to go?"

Liam nodded his head way to many times and Theo rolled his eyes at him before pushing his way onward. Liam trailed behind wordlessly.

_He never left?_

"Where did you get that?" He eyed the bow and quiver that was swung over Theo's one shoulder, a rifle over the other.

"Its hunting season," Theo quipped back at him and Liam frowned in confusion.

"Theo, hey hold up!" 

The Chimera stopped and raised a brow at him expectantly.

_What do I say? Thank you for staying even though I'm an ass? Sorry for what I said. I don't want you to leave - ever..._

Instead he tossed the pack of beef jerkey at him, "Got you something!"

Theo looked at the pack in his hand and back to Liam in confusion, "O-kayyy..."

"I got you something too, I guess..." he threw a camo cap at him and Liam happily put it on his head.

They didn't speak again after that, but Liam didn't care. He was on cloud 9, happily trotting after the older boy with no clue where he was leading him.

_He never left._

 


	9. Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Song by Ingrid Michaelson - Are We There Yet
> 
> AN: I will be using lyrics in this chapter printed in bold italic.

Liam missed the warmth of sunshine on his back. It had been raining for days now, always switching between a faint drizzle and a full blown hailstorm. He was tired of trekking through mud and seeing only grey skies, it made his mood just as dark.

Theo on the other hand enjoyed the weather, he didn't duck for cover under the foilage when heavy drops started to fall and stopped every once in a while to breath the cool air.

Liam shook mud from his shoe in annoyance only to have it plunge into another puddle with his next step, "Okay, this is getting rediculous! Its been raining for days!"

Theo hummed calmly, "Better than sunburn..."

"My socks are wet!" He grimanced when his feet made a slushing sound as he walked, "O come on!"

"Stop complaining, will you? You're disturbing my peace."

"Your peace? What peace?" He scoffed.

Theo paused in thought. "Inner peace," he decided with a pleased nod at himself. 

" _You_ have inmer peace?" Liam snorted at him.

Theo frowned, "Why shouldn't I have it?"

"Uh," Liam pulled a face, "Cause you're a machine of death raised by other machines of death?"

Theo just gave him an unimpressed look and plucked a leaf from an overhanging branch. It sent a fall of water onto Liam who was directly beneath it.

"Dude? What the fuck?" He shook his wet hair from his face, making it stick up wildly in all directions. Theo snorted an amused laugh before walking again.

_Oh, it's on!_

Liam crouched and balled a handfull of mud together. He threw it forcefully and it gave a satisfying splatter when it hit the older boy's back. Liam doubled in laughter at the scowl Theo gave him.

"What? No more inner pe-" the breath was knocked from him in a woosh as he landed with his back on the mud. Theo clamped his hands down and they wresled together, slipping and sliding on the muddy surface as they went. 

Theo brought a muddy hand to his face and Liam yelped in disgust as it was dragged over his features. He pushed tried to free himself but Theo's weight was too heavy.

"I can't see you dick!" He sputtered trying to blink mud from his eyes. Theo's chest was pressed to his, slick with mud. Liam felt it rumble as the chimera laughed.

Theo wiped the mud from his eyes and Liam met green eyes that he knew belonged to Theo, but they looked so different. So... alive.

Theo's laughter ceased but he kept his body in place, firmly pinning Liam. Liam looked at the boy hovering over him, smeared with mud and hair messed beyond repair and saw the faint quirk at the corner of his mouth. He'd never seen anything so strikingly beautiful.

Wait - what?

Next moment Theo's weight was replaced by empty air as the chimera offered him a hand. He took it and let the boy pull him to his feet.

The rain started pouring heavier now, leaving trails of clear skin on their muddy faces.

* * *

 

They sat by the fire in comfortable silence with the rain and hail pounding to the ground outside the cave. Liam watched in awe as Theo expertly took the rifle apart - checking to see if all the parts were clean - before putting it back together again so fast Liam's brain struggled to follow the action. 

"Where'd you learn to do that?"

"Practice," Theo shrugged without looking at him.

"So, how do you know where the rest of the Fireflies are exactly?" He asked uncertianly for the first time.

Theo shrugged again, "A hunch. It'd be strange to keep coordinates in your teeth from where you'd burried your teddy, so I can only assume its another base."

"Bury your teddy?" Liam eyed him with disgust, "What the hell?"

"What? Is that not something people do?" Theo asked with a small smile before scooting to sit next to Liam, their shoulders brushing.

He unfolded the map for Liam to see. There were pencil lines and scribbles all over it with small calculations on the side margins. Theo tapped a single finger on a spot on the map.

 "Nevada?" He asked in disbelief. Theo nodded grimly, "Theo, that's like all the way across the country! Its a different state!"

"Wow," Theo gave him a lazy smile, "How you failed Geography is beyond me."

Liam punched him playfully on his shoulder earning a slap on the head, "Wait, so we don't even know where in Nervada?"

"Nope, but I know someone who can point us in the right direction..."

"Who?" 

"Braeden."

" _Braeden?!"_ Liam echoed. His shout bounced off cave walls.

"Hmmmm..."

"How? She- You?" He stuttered.

"Use your words Liam..." 

"I thought she is a Firefly?" He breathed finally.

"She was," Theo threw a stick into the flames and avoided eyecontact, "I did a job for her once, that's how I know where she is."

"A job?" He knew he sounded dumb, but he was numb from shock.

"Smuggled a few guns..." he explained. He pointed to another spot on the map, "She's somewhere around here."

"And we... are all the way down here?" He hopelessly added, "We'll never make it."

Theo ruffled his hair, "Ye have little faith, Little Wolf! We can make it," he added with a twinkle in his eye, "With a car."

"We don't have a car?"

"Ah, but I know someone who does. And he happens to owe me a favour..." He tapped on another town with a smug smile.

"Cloverfield?" His eyes tracked the route that Theo had marked with a highlighter. 

_That's on the other side of..._

Theo was quiet a while searching Liam's face carefully, "How do you feel about making a pitstop?"

_Beacon Hills..._

* * *

 The journey to Beacon Hills passed a lot quicker than Liam thought it would - it had taken them only 3 days. He wasn't suprised, they'd kept a steady pace and Santa Cruz wasn't as far from home as Sacramento was.

> **_Welcome Back to Beacon Hills!_ **

_Home..._

Theo clapped him on the back and he winced, "Welcome home, Liam." The chimera strolled up the path nonchalantly and Liam swallowed a lump in his throat before following.

> _**They say that home is where the heart is,** _

He blinked his stinging eyes as he passed familiar builindings - empty and forgotten. The town he and the Pack had fought so hard to protect was reduced to a ghost town.

> _**I guess I haven't found my home** _

"Liam?" 

> **_And we keep driving round in circles,_**
> 
> **_Afraid to call this place our own_ **

"Coming!" His voice scraped his throat like sandpaper, rough with emotion. 

Theo waited for him to catch up and they walked side by side, matching each other step by step. Theo's shoulder bumped his every so often and Liam was grateful for his closeness.

> _**And are we there yet?**_

He stopped looking around and settled his eyes on Theo. His lashes had faint drops on them from the still pouring drizzle.

> **_They say there's linings made of silver_ **
> 
> **_Folded inside each raining cloud_ **
> 
> **_Well, we need someone to deliver_ **
> 
> **_Our silver lining now_ **

His body turned on its own accord, walking thr familiar yet ancient pathway that led to his house. Theo followed him wordlessly but remained outside, knowing Liam had to do this on his own.

"Liam, you gonna be okay?"

"Yeah," his voice quivered and he willed Theo to ignore it. 

He did.

"Okay, I'm gonna look around for a bit... I'll find you later?"

Liam just nodded.

> _**And are we there yet?** _
> 
> _**And are we there yet?** _

He brushed a trembling hand over the peeling paint on the kitchen walls, the colour wasn't right anymore. Jenna had spent days picking it out after they'd moved in, nagging Liam and David about which shade would suit the curtians best. All the colours had looked the same back then, but Liam recognized the difference now with a sharp pang in his chest.

The stairs creaked in protest under his weight, rotten wood threatning to give way. He went to his mother's room first. It was nothing but debris and soiled bedsheets with moss and mold growing in the corners. There was no trace of her rosey perfume left.

He followed the hall toward his room and paused briefly he stopped next to family photos hanging crookedly on the wall. He saw his mother and David on their wedding day - she looked beautiful. Next to it was a photo of him in about 6th grade, scowling at the camera. 

> _**And are we there yet?** _

He entered his room and smiled softly at how messy it looked. Of course it would be messy given the world almost ending and all, but it looked similar to how it always did. Liam imagined his mother yelling at him to clean it while she did the laundry - the scent of Lavender detergent floating around the house - while he just ignored her request anyway. 

> _**Home, Home, Home** _
> 
> _**Home, Home , Home** _

Something cracked beneath his foot and he lifted his boot to reveal the forgotten  _Halo_ cover on the floor. He felt a tear trickle down his cheek and didn't bother to wioe it away. His bedroom walls were a mixture of peeling blue paint and faded posters. Next to his nightstand lay a broken frame with a photo of him and Hayden. He had a wide smile on his face while she kissed his cheek.

> _**They say you're really not somebody** _
> 
> _**Until somebody else loves you** _

He tore the posters from the walls and shredded his bedding, punching new holes into the wall to match the old one's.

* * *

 

 The tiny purple flower drifted with the stream as droplets tickled the surface of the undisturbed water. 

"I know they're not lilies, but at least they're your favourite colour," Theo mummured softly as he dropped another small flower down into the creek.

"I found them growing on the side of the road," he swallowed thickly. "I remember how you always stuck wildflowers into your braids, no matter how mad mom got about it."

Teardrops and raindrops fell together now, splashing into the cool water below the bridge.

> _**Well, I am waiting to make somebody** _
> 
> _**Somebody soon** _

"That's one of the only memories I really have of you..." 

"Sometimes I think they let me keep it - just that one - on purpose. To remind me of the little girl I murdered," he chuckled wetly, "If that's the case I bet it was the Geneticist's idea... she's always messing with my head."

> **_And are we there yet?_ **
> 
> **_And are we there yet?_ **

"I bet you miss me, don't you?" He twirled another flower between his fingers, "I'd managed to excape you for a while now, you probably didn't think I'd be smart enough to find a way - but I did."

He watched his reflection in the water. His eyes looked dark and his cheeks were hollow. 

"What a sight for sore eyes, ey Tara?"

> **_And are we there yet?_ **

"Maybe I miss you too," he mused lost in thought now, "Maybe its time for me to come back to you, to go back to where I belong..."

> _**Home, Home, Home** _
> 
> _**Home, Home, Home** _

He tossed the remaining flowers into the stream and watched them be carried away, rain hitting the bridge with heavy patters now.

 

> _**Where you'll lie on the rug** _
> 
> _**While I play with the dog** _
> 
> _**And it won't be too much** _

"Goodbye, Tara..."

He craned his neck and bared his face to the unforgiving downpour. Water streamed down his face and neck in small turrents, making his clothes cling to his body.

 

> _**'Cause this is too much** _
> 
> _**'Cause this is too much for me to hold** _

He split his jaws in a mournful howl that left his throat feeling raw. He didn't know who he was howling for.

Tara?

Tess? 

Liam?

For me?

He didn't care.

 

> _**This is too much for me to hold** _

Warm arms circled his waist from behind and he felt Liam's heart racing against his back from where their wet bodies were pressed together.

 

> _**Home, Home, Home** _

Liam let his own howl mingle with Theo's - together it grew into one sorrowful wail that echoed through the night.

 


	10. Waves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean Lewis - Waves

Theo cursed under his breath as he stumbled once more. He glared at the grass poll that was the culprit before glaring at Liam who was watching him with concerned eyes. He grumbled irritably and kept walking unsteadily. He shivered from the cold sweat that covered his body like a second skin.

_Fucking fantastic, bet you're just loving this right Tara? Your sweet revenge for me skipping out on our nightly visits for so long?_

He stumbled again and Liam reached out to steady him, "Don't touch me!" He snarled as he tried to keep his hands from trembling.

By the time he started seeing double he knew it was no use to keep walking. He had to stop. Nausea won over and he retched onto the grass.

"You okay?" Liam wrinkled his nose at the sharp tang of vomit, "I didn't know werewolves could go through withdrawl..."

Theo gagged and hung his head between his knees, "Not a real werewolf..."

"Right..." Liam sighed and felt a bit awkward. Theo obviously didn't like having him here to witness his sickly state, but he couldn't just leave the chimera here alone and defenseless.

Theo sunk to the ground with a groan and held his pounding head, "Opioïds... fun..."

Liam just stood there stupidly. He'd seen a few withdrawl patients at the hospital whenever he visited David. He knew Theo would be fine come morning since he had enhanced healing, so his concern was trumped by irritation and a bit of anger.

He knew Theo had taken the morphine to keep his nightmares at bay, but Liam still frowned upon the need that had lead to addiction. Theo had finished the last vial after they left Beacon Hills and Liam had watched the onset of symptoms silently - trembling, cold sweat, rapid breathing...

He inspected Theo's pale clammy face and saw the boy try to control the urge to vomit again. 

Theo looked at him with glowing eyes and fangs peeking over is lips, "Can you  _sit down?_ You're making me nervous."

Liam huffed and threw his bag to the ground before following it, still watching Theo with disapproval.

"Liam, I swear to God if you don't stop with the judgy eyes-" 

"Thought you were an athiest..." 

Theo just grumbled something else and curled into a ball, shivers wracking his body.

"You need help with the pain?"

"N-No," Liam rolled his eyes at the stubborn boy but didn't try to oppose. Theo looked like he wasn't above biting his hand off at the moment.

"J-Just... stay with me..." 

Liam snapped his eyes up in surprise at the request only to find that the chimera's were clenched tightly shut.

"Okay..."

_Of course I'll stay._

So Liam settled into a more comfortable position to keep watch over Theo through the night.

* * *

 

The following morning Theo was back to his old - sarcastic, irritable, asshole self. Liam felt relieved and annoyed at the same time.

Their conversation was clipped and tense, not bringing up Theo's withdrawl or how Liam had watched over him, not bringing up the fact that from now on the chimera had to cope with sleeping naturally.

Definately not mentioning their heartwrenching moment on the bridge or their visit to Beacon Hills.

 _That_ was what made Liam angry. He'd felt so raw and broken - bearing his soul to the equally broken chimera as they shared their grief. It had been exposing. Liam had felt... naked. Closer to Theo than he'd ever thought possible.

Instead of it being a positive enforcement to their friendship/partnership/ _whatever the fuck you want to call it,_ Liam felt Theo pushing him away, keeping him at arms length with his emotionless mask back in place. It made Liam feel strangely used.

Theo was obviously angry as well - probably because he'd revealed  _real actual feelings_ to another living being. He stomped loudly and rudely through the woods, startling all wildlife and cracking the serene atmosphere the valley gave.

"Can you  _please_ walk quieter?" Liam gritted between clenched teeth.

"What?" Theo grumbled but purposefully walked even louder and Liam knew he'd heard him.

" _Can you walk any fucking quieter?!_ " he growled and felt anger prickling his skin.

"Gee I don't know Liam, can you stop being so annoying?" Theo asked in a sing-song voice and Liam felt the last thread of his patience snap.

Breath left Theo's lungs in a whoosh as he was tackled to the hard ground from behind, face smacking to the dirt and causing him to bite his lip accidently. He saw red when he tasted blood.

 He snarled viciously as Liam clawed at his back, ripping his shirt and sending splatters of blood flying in every direction. Theo rolled them over and punched the beta's jaw with a loud crunch.

Liam felt pain and it only served to make him angrier and angrier. He caught Theo's fist that flew at his face again, growling with satisfaction when the chimera's wristbones gave way with a loud snap followed by a pained roar of pure fury. 

They continued to tumble and roll around in the dirt, each trying to gain the upper hand before Theo shoved Liam down forcefully and roared at him in dominance, fangs bared and eyes golden. Liam met it with a roar of his own, mouth stretching wide.

They stopped roaring and stared at each other with glowing eyes, panting and bleeding. Theo drew ragged puffs of air and slid of off Liam's body, settling by his side and they lay together gasping for breath side by side. 

Liam frowned as he drew air into his starved lungs, not wanting to Theo to think he was giving in so easily so he stiffled another breathless growl that sounded more like a strangled whine. 

"O please," Theo gasped and cradled his broken wrist to his chest.

Liam just huffed but didn't offer another challange, "We done?"

Theo's wristbones snapped loudly as he slid them back into place to heal correctly, "Yeah..." he groaned in pain.

They stayed on the ground while their skin knit together, and long after. The silence was thick and deafning, but the atmosphere was much more breathable. Liam could see Theo looked much more relaxed himself, despite being covered in small cuts and dirt. Their little throwdown had eased some of the tension between them - but not all of it.

* * *

 The week dragged by miserably slowly. They fell into small meaningless conversation much easier but avoided all topics that would implicate feelings. Liam felt like it was both a blessing and a curse. 

The rift between them was growing and they were both aware, but neither really had an idea - or the need - to try and fix it. 

They climbed to the top of a hill overlooking a town in the distance. Theo hooked his thumbs into the loops of his backpack. Liam thought it made him look like a 5th grader, but couldn't bring himself to word the insult.

"Cloverfield?" He asked instead.

"Yup, Cloverfield..." Theo echoed without looking at him, glaring at the horizon above the town instead with a faint furrow of his brow. Liam itched to rub a thumb down his face to ease the wrinkles.

"So, who is this guy with the car?"

"Bill," Theo supplied as if it answered Liam's question perfectly. The chimera drew his bottom lip between his teeth and worried at it. Liam forced himself not to stare.

" _Bill?_ Bill who? Ray Cyrus?" He mocked with a roll of his eyes. 

Theo frowned in confusion, "Who?"

"From Disney Channel?" Liam asked with a  _duh_ expression on his face.

The older boy's frown deepened, "From what?"

_Right, too busy murdering with the Dread Doctors to watch Hannah Montana I guess._

_Wait, why did I watch it?_

Liam shuffled his feet uncomfortably and felt a bit relieved that Theo didn't know what he was talking about.

_He'd never let me hear the end of that..._

"Liam, listen..." Theo sounded awkward, "When we find Bill - uh... he's... a bit, uh-" Theo cleared his throat as he searched for the right words, "Jittery?"

"Jittery?" Liam's brows climbed high onto his forehead.

"Yeah, just... we need him to give us the car okay? So just... let me do the talking, yeah?"

"I thought he'd give us the car anyway? Since he owes you a  _favour?_ "

"Not if he puts a bullet between our eyes first..." Theo muttered and started trudging in the direction of the town, knowing Liam would follow.

* * *

 

So far the town had been completely abandoned - no soldiers, thugs or infected. Otherwise it was still very quiet.

Loud barks broke the silence and Liam's heart picked up with a wild beat in shock. In the distance he saw two wiry dogs fighting over a small carcas - squirral?

"Their not Deaton's kind of pet me I'm sick yet friendly dogs Liam," Theo warned as Liam took a tentative step in their direction. The dogs snapped their jaws at them and Liam cringed back at the spit foaming around their jaws.

They kept walking slowly and Liam felt his irritation grow, "Can we try to get there sometime today?"

"Shut up," Theo mumbled halfheartedly, completely focused on his surroundings as he took small, wary steps.

"You're being overly cautious!" 

Liam hissed with annoyance when the chimera ignored him and pushed by him, shouldering Theo aside roughly as he stomped down the ally with quick, furious steps.

"Liam! Slow down!" Theo made a grab for his sleeve so Liam jerked away wildly.

He felt the wire digging through the fabric of his pants, biting the flesh at his ankle. He looked down in surprise to see the tightly strung wire that glinted in the stiffled sunlight.

He moved his leg away to inspect it, "Wha-"

Theo grabbed his sleeve and yanked him backward harshly. Liam landed onto Theo's chest with a smack before they both hit the ground, pushed back by the force of a blast.

Liam brought a shaking hand to his ringing ear and saw blood on the fingers he raised to his eyes. Bits of wood splintered around them. Liam felt a few sharp splinteres in the skin of the arm he'd raised to protect his face.

_What the fuck?!_

It had been a trap. One Liam had triggered when his ankle caught the tripwire. He could smell the singe from his burnt sideburns.

_That was close!_

 Theo pushed Liam from his body with a grunt before rising. Liam saw a thin trickle of blood run down the side of his face from his ear. The chimera's eyes were bright with worry now as he glanced around them nervously.

"Wh- what the fuck was that?!" 

"That," Theo mumbled as he finished looking around before gazing at Liam who was still on the ground, "was Bill..."

Liam allowed the boy to pull him to his feet where he swayed, slightly dizzy.

"Traps..." 

"Traps..." Theo confirmed and wiped at the blood on his face, making it smudge on his cheek in an angry crinson streak, "Figures..."

"So, jittery?" Liam questioned still a bit dumbfounded.

"Very..."

* * *

Liam followed Theo's lead without question or protest now, eyeing his feet warily as he placed them carefully on the ground, eyes alert for the glint of another tripwire. They'd passed 5 more already. When they couldn't go around it Theo pulled his gun from the small of his back and fired at it, making it go off as they watched the explosion from a safe distance.

"Seriously, who the hell does this?! Is he here alone?"

Theo just shrugged and gave a low hum as they sidestepped another wire. Their progress was aginizingly slow. 

"We'll never get there at this rate!" Liam spat lowly, "What do we do when it gets dark and we ca-"

"Shhh!" 

Liam's jaws closed with a loud clack immediatly and he looked around in confuse for another glinting wire or imposing trap of some sort.

Then he heard it, a faint clicking sound that he recognized all too well. It made the hair on his arms lift with unease.

"Clickers?" He whispered in dismay.

"Yeah," Theo nodded with wide eyes, he trekked around a crumbling building slowly before halting, "C'mere!"

Liam joined him and saw several Clickers stalking the towngrounds in a fevered haze. 

"What are they doing?"

"Guarding," Theo breathed a small chuckle, the warm breath puffed against Liam's neck. He shivered.

"Damn it Bill..." Theo just shook his head as his mouth tugged downwards at the corners.

"He uses Infected as  _guarddogs?!"_ Liam whispered with indignation.

_This guy is crazier than I thought!_

"Looks like, damn good idea too," Theo pushed Liam back gently, "We need to try and sneak by them."

"Oh, cause last time went so well!" 

"I don't see or hear any Runners, which means we can make it -  _quietly!"_ Theo pulled a dagger from his pack.

Liam watched the blade with a raised brow, "What's that for then?"

"Backup..."

* * *

Liam grimanced as the dead Clickers head lolled forward and bumped into his shoe. He pushed it to the side with the tip of his boot and fought the urge to gag at the sight of rotting teeth peeking from the gaping jaws.

Up ahead Theo took another one down, shoving the blade into the base of its skull which seemed to be softened by the fungal mold. The Clickers were surprisingly easy to take down one by one - if they remained oblivious to the two wolves creeping by them quietly.

Liam hung back until they rounded the corner, he almost smacked into the Clicker in front of him and reached out with clawed hands blindly, sinking their tips into the nape of its neck and jerking - just like Theo had showed him - its body dropped to the ground with a low thud.

He grinned widely and saught Theo's eyes.

 _You see that?!_ he communicated with his eyes in excitement.

Theo rolled his eyes -  _Yeah yeah!_

Theo's momentary distraction proved deadly as his shoe pushed a tin can. The sound echoed through the air sharply and they both stiffened in horror.

For a moment nothing happened, making Liam think that maybe, just  _maybe -_

Clicker screeches filled the air around them and the silence was forgotten when Theo's yell ripped from his throat, "RUN!"

The streets seemed to come alive with crawling infected as they were persued relentlessly. They crashed through the huge double doors of a building that looked like an old warehouse.

They slammed their bodies into the door to shut it against the thrusting fungal hands. Liam reached for a metal pipe before shoving it through the door handles, shutting it effectively.

He met Theo's eyes and they lifted their fists - ready to fistbumb - when more loud screechimg echoed through the building. 

"The windows!" Liam yelled in dismay.

Theo moved to the closest one, probably going to close it, when he was suddenly hanging upside down, strung like a piece of meat left to dry.

 _"Fuckit Bill!"_ Theo reached for the chains around his ankles with clawed swipes.

"Theo?" Liam asked nervously when he saw Runners emerging from the windows.

_"Fuck!"_

"Theo!" Liam tossed his own gun into the chimera's waiting hands. A bullet cracked the air near his head as it sunk into the nearest Runner's skull.

"Liam, get me down!" 

Liam's hands trembled as he fumbled with the chains wrapped around a fridge laying on its side. 

Runners poured through the windows in waves but he ignored them, knowing Theo had his back. He wasn't disappointed. Theo fired at each Runner with deadly accuracy even though he was hanging upside down. Blood rushed to his head and made it pound.

"Hurry Liam!"

"I'm trying!" He growled and settled for yanking wildly at the chains in the hope that something will snap.

_Click-_

"LIAM!" Theo threw his empty gun aside just in time to stop a Runner from biting into his jugular. 

"No!" Liam finally felt a chain snap and Theo tumbled to the ground with the Runner on top of him. It snapped at his throat and Theo yelled in panic when its saliva dripped down his neck.

"THEO!"

A shotgun cocked before a loud bang sounded and the Runner's head exploded, spilling its contents onto Theo's upper body. Liam whirled to face a short, bulky looking man.

"What are you lookin' at?! Fucking GO!"

 He didn't wait to be told twice. He pulled a shocked Theo to his feet and dragged him after himself as he followed their sweaty savior through multiple doors at full sprint. 

They skidded to a halt when they reached a dimly lit room, "What now?!" 

The Runners were charging at them full speed, hurtling through the hallway as they pushes each other greedy to be the first one to get to the kill. 

They didn't make it very far. 

A Runner tripped on a wire and the hallway blew up, grit flying from the force of the explosion. The man closed a thick steel door with latch just in time to shield them from the blaze.

"Who-"

Liam squaked in surprise when his wrist was twisted suddenly and he found himself handcuffed to a steel pipe, " _Fuck you!"_

"Liam shut it!"

"Theo-"

"Well what do we have here then? Imagine my delight when all of my traps - that I worked so hard on - started trippin'!"

Theo sighed harshly, "Bill-"

_Oh, so this is Bill._

Liam wasn't impressed. The man was sweaty and a bit overweight. And obviously an asshole.

" _You're_ Bill?" He asked in disbelief. He was answered by the butt of the shotgun being shoved into his face. 

 _"Fucking Asshole!"_ He growled as he felt warm blood trickle from his left nostril.

"Liam shut up!"

"Li- ahm is it?" The man worked his mouth into spitting a deformed version of the beta's name, "Theo and  _Company..."_ he muttered.

"Bill, can you please let him go? This isn't nessicary." Theo reasoned and Bill huffed before he reached up to unlock Liam's wrists.

 _"You d-"_ Theo cut his insult short as he flung his arms around his waist to keep him from attacking.

The man seemed unfased at Liam's anger fit and flicked another lamp to life, "Where's Tess?"

Liam tensed in Theo's grasp so the chimera shoved him aside, "We need help Bill."

 _"We need help Bill,"_ the man mimiced in a high voice, "Ain't gettin' no help from me!"

"You owe me!" Theo squared his broad shoulders and took a step forward. Bill cringed slightly, making Liam feel pleased.

"What do ya' want?!"

"A car," Theo answered quickly, "Just a car!"

" _Just a car?_ How many workin' cars have ya come by, ey?  _Just a car!"_

Liam watched as Bill angrily threw his weapons onto the already messy table. The entire bunker was full of clutter. He stepped to the side to look at the contents of a nearby pile when Bill pointed a knife at him.

"You! Li- auhm! Don' touch nothin'!" 

Liam was ready to growl in retaliation only to have Theo silence him, "You have a car!"

"I had a car! Had - as in no more!"

"The town's littered with spare parts, you can fix one!" 

Bill croaked a laugh that made Liam flinch at the terrible sound, "What you need a car for then?"

Theo crossex his arms and Liam saw his emotionless mask slip on, "We need to get to Nevada, there's no way we'll make it on foot. Hence - the car."

"Nevada?! Are you crazy?!"

Theo just shrugged.

"What does Tess have to say 'bout all this?" 

 Liam's heart broke a little when a soft smile slipped onto the chimera's lips, "Was her idea, actually..."

Bill huffed and sank onto a creaking office chair. He spun in a small circle, deep in thought it seemed, "Hmmm," another spin, "Mm-hmmm..."

" _Mm-hmm?_ What does  _Mm-hmm_ mean?"

"It means..." Liam rolled his eyes. Obviously Bill was enjoying the theatrics. "That I can fix up a car for ya..."

Theo cracked a relieved smile and met Liam's eyes, "Alright, that's more like it!"

"With the correct parts that is..."

Theo growled in annoyance, "Fine, you have them?"

"Nope!" He spun in the chair some more and Liam glared at the structure, hoping his gaze would cause it to collapse. Theo's scent of anger filled his nose.

"O-kay! Can you get the parts then?" Theo bit out through clenched teeth.

"Mm-hmmm, with some help that is..."

"Help? That's it? You need our help?" 

"Quite right young un!"

"Fine, whatever we'll help you get the parts and then you fix us a car. Let's go." Theo motioned to the door of the bunker but Bill just chuckled.

"Theo Theo Theo, so impatient. I suggest we get some sleep first!"

"Sleep? Why?" Liam snapped and Bill spun so that his back faced the beta, ignoring him.

"Bill... where are the parts  _exactly?_ " Liam could tell Theo was barely keeping his composture.

"On the other side of town," Bill flicked his switchblade out and moved to clean his nails with it.

_Of course it is..._

* * *

 


	11. Stargazing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stargazing by Kygo & Justin Jesso

Liam should've known that the man was going to snore. Because of course he would. Liam added that to his mental list of reasons why he doesn't like the guy. 

  1.  He fucking handcuffed me
  2. Can't be bothered to say my name correctly.
  3. Keeps bringing up Tess.
  4. Won't let me near his stuff
  5. He snores so LOUDLY
  6. He fucking handcuffed me!



"Liam, why aren't you sleeping?" Theo asked casually because there was no way Bill would wake up from them talking if he didn't wake from his own snoring.

"Gee I don't know? Maybe because of all the damn fucking noise?!" Liam hissed and the chimera chuckled.

"You snore too, Liam."

"I do not!"

"Yes, you do."

"I do not!" Liam's excliamed which caused Bill to shift a little before falling into a deep snoring sleep.

"Let's get some air?" Theo suggested, "The bunker can be opened from the roof, we can get comfortable on the roof and you can get some sleep."

Liam wanted to ask why only he was going to sleep and not Theo, but bit his tongue.

They crept away with sleeping bags and pillows and Theo got onto a messy table and quietly opened the latch. He climbed out and motioned for Liam to follow.

 Theo sank into his pillow with and breathed deeply letting the cool night air flood his lungs and closed his eyes.

He heard Liam following behind him and a moment later Liam laid down next to him - much too close for Theo's liking but he didn't want to anger the beta now by pushing him away since he finally was feeling peaceful. 

"You can still hear him snore if you listen closely," Liam tried to break the ice and Theo gave a small chuckle at his attempt, but there was still an awkward silence that followed. 

He knew things between them have been tense to say the least, he was just at a loss for words to fix it.

_Why should I? I'm too emotionally involved already._

Instead of reciprocating Liam's attempt to lighten the mood he breathed in deeply, cool night air flooded his lungs as he filled them to their maximum expansion before breathing put slowly through his mouth.

"Why do you always do that?"

"Do what?" Theo hummed as he took another breath.

"Breathe so deeply? Like now?" Theo tilted his head to see the beta eyeing him curiously.

"I like to breathe? What's wrong with that?" He knew he was being snippy, but that's what they did. He'd rather be snippy than fall into a serious conversation.

Liam rolled is eyes, "Ha ha..."

They remained silent for a few awkwardly stretched out minutes.

"It helps me relax. Grounds me to where I am and clears my head. Reminds me... that I'm still alive I guess," he said softly, not sure why he felt the need to answer the question in the first place.

He saw Liam nod from the corner of his eye but the hint of confusion that scented the air told him that another question was on its way. 

"Why would you need a reminder that you're here, or alive?" 

He shrugged a shoulder slightly and sighed, "I dunno. Sometimes its easy to fall back into memories I guess..."

_Of Hell. Of Tara._

Liam didn't ask him to elaborate on what memories the chimera was reffering to, he already knows what he means.

"Yeah, I get that. If I don't occupy myself memories catch up to me too..." came the soft reply from Theo's side. 

_What memories Liam? What have you seen and lived through all this time?_

He didn't dare to ask though, Theo Raeken wasn't one to get sappy. He looked at the stars instead. They were bright and twinkling like shattered pieces of glass. 

"No, I don't think so..."

Liam turned his head and studied Theo's face in the moonlight, "What?"

"The stars," Theo breathed the words, "I don't think they know that they shine."

"Oh," was all Liam managed in fasination. He'd asked the question months ago and had felt so stupid when Theo didn't answer him. That the chimera remembered was surprising to him, receinving an answer left him speechless.

"They're just big balls of errupted gas anyway," Theo sounded clipped, like he was trying to cover the softness he'd shown a moment ago, "Long dead anyway..."

"Yeah," Liam answered weakly.

Liam continued to watch Theo who stobbornly continued to watch the stars. He looked soft in the moonlight, a light stubble dotted his jaw.

"Do you know any constellations?" He asked when the silence grew again, desperate to keep the older boy talking to him.

Theo hummed an affirmation and a soft smile ghosted his lips, "You?"

"None," Liam swallowed thickly, "Could you show me a few?"

Theo nodded still fixated on the stars, "Sure, c'mere." He motioned for Liam to shift closer. 

Liam settled closer to Theo so that their sides were touching and laid his head next to his. He held his breath when he felt the chimera tense momentarily, expecting him to reject his closeness and shove him away. Theo just let out a shaky breath and forced himself to relax, causing Liam to expell his own shaky burst of air. Liam saw Theo's Adam's apple bob up and down as he swallowed and forced his gaze back to the stars.

"So, look over there," Theo's arm brushed his when he pointed at the sky, warm skin briefly on his and it caused the hairs on his skin to rise at the lack of contact.

"That's Orion-"

"The hunter from Greek mythology" Liam chipped in happily.

Theo rolled his eyes, "Right, I forgot how much of a nerd you are. Can you see it? Looks like a man with a bow?"

"Yeah, I see it."

Theo huffed, "Alright smartass, here's something you don't know - see the contellation directly south of Orion?" Theo pointed at a cluster of stars below the hunter.

Liam nodded silently so Theo continued, "That's Lepus. It means hare."

Liam grinned when he saw the figure, "I see it, it has little bunny ears!"

"See the way it looks like the rabbit is moving away from Orion? The myth says that the hare is fleeing from the hunter and his hounds."

"Woah, that's kinda cool..." Liam breathed in fasination.

"The bright star, kinda orange? That's Rigil. It's the seventh brightest star I think..."

"Woah," Liam said again.

"Yeah," Theo smiled softly before pointing to another, "Monoceros, Latin for unicorn. See it? Looks like a horse and the star above that end is supposed to be the horn." 

Liam nodded and tilted his head sideways to see the figure.

"Eridanus is over there, its supposed to represent a river..." Theo trailed off and rested his hand on his chest with a pleased smile on his face. 

Liam grinned when their shoulders brushed, "You're a dork aren't you?"

Theo snorted a small laugh, "You're the dork, not me!"

"Okay, funny that you'd think that since you basically know everything there is to know about anatomy, science and it seems astronomy!" He teased and playfully bumbed their shoulders together.

"I'm smart, there's a difference!"

"Dork."

"Whatever, Myokonos..." Theo smirked and Liam saw the teasing twinkle in his too green eyes.

"Right, looks like we're both dorks then..." he concluded with a laugh and turned his head sharply to see Theo a little better. His nose brushed against a stubbled cheek. 

Theo snapped his eyes to meet Liam's, all signs of play dwindling from their dephts and replaced by something unreadable. Liam's heart hammered in his chest now that he realized how close they were.

Theo kept their gazes locked for what seemed like an eternity, his warm breath puffing against Liam's mouth. "Guess we are..." Theo's voice was husky.

Suddenly Theo looked away and pulled himself away in one swift movement, leaving Liam's mind reeling.

"Enough stargazing," the older boy's voice was rough and a little harsh as he turned his back on Liam, "Get some sleep."

"O-okay... right, yeah..." he tried to get comfortable and laid there watching the taunt muscles of Theo's tense shoulders. 

_What was that?_

_Why is my heart beating so fast?_

_Get it together Liam!_

His heartbeat evened out eventually but his thoughts were still racing.

"You're not asleep Liam." Came a low grumble from Theo who was still laying with his back to him.

"Neither are you!" Liam accused.

"Wasn't planning on it," Theo replied coldly.

"Not planning on sleeping? Why?" 

Theo ignored him so Liam turned his back to him, mirroring the angry and closed off position. He shifted uncomfortably as irritation bit at his nerves.

"Go to sleep!" Theo grumbled again.

"Why should I sleep if you won't?!"

"So that I don't have to worry about saving your ass tomorrow! You'll be all rested up and energized to do it yourself!" Theo snapped bitterly.

"Then you should sl-" 

"Shut up and  _go to fucking sleep!"_

Liam's mouth closed with an audiable click. He shifted some more until he was in what resembled a comfortable position. He wanted to be stubborn, to not sleep. But tiredness soon dragged him into a loomy state.

"I'll face Tara tomorrow night..." he barely heard the soft whisper and his tongue felt too heavy to reply.

He gave in and slept.


	12. Broken Bones

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Broken Bones - Kaleo

The sun was high by the time the trio made it across the town to a small abandoned chapel. They didn't talk much and the day had been, thankfully, uneventful. The only sound that had been thrumming in Liam's ears had been their footsteps, clinking of metal from their weapons, Bill's panting and Theo humming a song of some sort. He'd been doing it since they woke up, starting the melody with slow whistles while they were preparing to leave the bunker. Liam didn't recognize the song and he didn't pester the chimera about it, the melody was strangely calming to him. 

Despite the Infected free morning, Bill had them loaded to the teeth with weapons and ammo. He'd even showed Theo how to make a bomb from a tin can and some loose nails, he insisted that the small contraption packed a mean punch. The burly looking man was sweating what seemed like litres, the salty tang filled the air as the man wiped at his brow every now and then, sending droplets to the tar where they evapurated almost instantly. Liam wondered what month it was, why it was so hot. 

Theo had been silent all day save for the whistle and humming of his tune. He didn't change to another one and seemed to be humming the same verses over and over before starting again from the beginning. A string of bullets hung loosely across his shoulders and clinked as he moved with gliding steps, not too energized but still an easy pace. His brow was sweaty and his face a bit dirty, dust that clung to his stubble turned to muddy grime in the sweat that gathered there. He had dark circles under his eyes, but that was nothing new. He'd apparently stuck to his no sleeping plan the night before, but Liam couldn't see that it slowed him down much. Afterall, Theo had more experience with these situations that Liam would ever hope to grasp.

It made him feel childish somehow. His long list of foes he'd faced in the past - Berserkers, Monroe, Dread Doctors, Anuk-ite, Ghost Riders,  _Theo Raeken -_ didn't make up for his lack of experience with post-apocalyptic survival. Scott had known it would be like this, that is why he'd written to Liam about listening to Marlene and Theo.

_They're better cut for a world like this than you or I..._

Each time they faced Infected was terrifying, bringing up memories from the day he'd been bitten. Everytime he felt a flare of fear down his spine for Theo, fear that he'd be bitten like Mason was. Despite that Liam dreaded soldiers and bandits even more. Sure, humans were easier to beat, but that made them easier to kill. Easier for Liam to slip up.

He wasn't stupid, he knew his life was dreadfully important at the moment - the faint scar on his arm reminded him everyday. He knew he had to protect himself at all cost, for the sake of humanity... Scott had told him the same, to do what it takes to save himself, to do what it takes to survive. In between the lines he knew Scott had tried to tell him that killing someone to save his own ass was okay. This wasn't the same world they'd grown used to in Beacon Hills. This wasn't the world where rightious men made it out alive. 

It scared him. It angered him. 

With each fight he felt himself lose a bit more of his humanity in the fray, saw his claws hitting closer to fatal points than usual, felt a primal need to defeat his enemy no matter what. What if he slipped up? What if his IED finally pushed him to his limit? What if he became a killer?

A killer... his eyes drifted back to Theo involuntarily. A killer like Theo? 

The chimera had ended countless lives - before the apocoplyse and afterward. Still he managed to stop Liam from losing himself, from going over the edge. Instead he finished the job for the beta, keeping Liam's hands blood free - figuratively speaking that is.

He was pulled from his thoughts when Bill signaled for them to stop by the chapel. The man sat heavily on a cement bench gasoing for air.

"Damn heat!" He wiped at his brow angrily, "Hey Li-auhm! Pass me the water would ya!"

Liam rolled his eyes amd tossed the bottle with a little more force than needed, causing the man to fumble with it as he tried to grip it between thick fingers. 

Theo leaned against a tree with one shoulder and his whistling broke off when he took a long gulp from his own bottle, droplets slid down the sides of his mouth. 

"Right!" Bill slapped the cap back in place, "From this point on we need to keep our eyes peeled, I haven't been to this part o' town in a while, don' know what to expect." He tossed the bottle back to Liam with a matched amount of extra force to tell the beta he'd caught on to the reason of his bad catch earlier. Liam grumbled but didn't say anything.

Theo just raised an eyebrow with a bored expression on his face before picking up his tune again.

"Would ya quit with that noise?!" Bill huffed at him angrily and Theo frowned, slightly offended.

"Hey, I haven't heard music in forever! Besides, its catchy..." he smirked lopsidedly and Liam chuckled a bit at Bill's look of disgust.

"You call that music? Hmmpff! Shut up, don' want a Clicker rippin' my head off because it heard your croaking!"

Liam laughed loudly this time at Theo's shocked and offended face. He was quickly shut up by Bill.

"Li-auhm! Shut it!"

Theo snickered and stuck his tongue out at the beta.

"Oh, real mature Theo..." he grumbled and shoved the chimera's shoulder roughly.

"Shut up  _Li-auhm!"_ Theo mimicked Bill and laughed loudly when the beta swiped at him.

* * *

 Loud and angry clicks echoed through the cemetary and Theo lifted his brows, "How long ago have you been to this part of town, Bill?" 

Bill just grumbled without answering. Not that Theo could blame him, he wasn't sure of time himself. He glanced at Liam quickly. The permanent scowl was firmly in place, enhanced by sweat and dirt and light scruff that covered the bottom half of his face. He was tanned now, making his blue eyes look sharp. Sometimes Theo thought those eyes could see straight through him and into his soul. 

Soul? Oh God he's turning into such a sap. 

The corners of his mouth twitched, eager to perk his mouth into a whistle again and pick up the tune that had been playing in his head since the previous night. He fought the urge and clenched his jaw tightly as they started creeping along headstones and ducked to avoid the Clickers that stalked between them. He opted for singing in his head instead, because why not? They were already mad men...

 

_The devil's going to make me a free man,_

_The devil's going to set me free._

_Oh, the devil's going to make me a free man,_

_The devil's going to set me free._

 

_I've been down, deep Texas Mississipi State_

_Hoping things might go my way_

_For every hard earned dollar I make_

_There stands a white man just to take it away_

_Some might say I talk loud, see if I care_

_Unlike them, don't walk away from my fears_

_I've busted bones, broken stones, looked the devil in the eye_

_I hope he's going to break these chains, oh yeah_

* * *

 "Liam, heads up!" Theo tossed a Runner's head at the beta who grabbed it out of pure reflex. The thing's eyes rolled in its head to seemingly stare at him, tongue lolling from broken jaws like it was taunting him.

"Euw!" He tossed it aside as quickly as possible and wiped his hands on his pantlegs, "Euw euw euw, what the fuck is wrong with you?!"

Theo laughed so hard his eyes began to water. Liam growled dangerously and a second later Theo cluthed his already bruised jaw, lip split from where he'd bit himself when the beta punched him. Much to Liam's dismay he didn't stop laughing. 

"Will you boys quit it?!" Bill huffed and kicked at a stray body - the one Theo had decapitated - as he tried to clear a path for them to follow.

"He's being disgusting!" Liam petulantly accused the still laughing chimera. He hurried to catch up to Bill, sidestepping the bodies with distaste colouring his features.

"You're such a baby!" Theo yelled from somewhere behind him. 

"No, you're just sick!" He growled out over his shoulder without looking at the older boy - he could just picture the smug amusement on his face. Looking at it would just urge his fists to punch it off.

He hopped over the corpses that littered their way, nails, screws and other bits of shrapnel sticking out of molded skulls. Bill wasn't kidding, the little tin canned bomb did pack a mean punch. It had taken down several enemies at once. Liam would've been impressed if it hadn't been for the nail embedded in his thigh.

He gripped it and yanked it out with a hiss, blood leaking from the wound the rusted nail had left. 

"Great, I'm gonna need a tetanus shot now..." he grumbled and threw the nail in Theo's general direction. He grinned when the chimera yelped as he dodged it. 

"C'mon Liam you're a werewolf for fuck sake, you don't need a tetanus shot!" Theo exclaimed before adding, "Your still a baby though. A baby werewolf," he gasped like he'd made some fundimental discovery, "A  _Baby Wolf!"_

"You're both babies! Keep up!" Bill shouted before Liam got the chance to punch Theo again.

* * *

"So, what's in Nevada?" Bill grumbled as he picked through the kitchen drawers of an abandoned house they'd stopped at. He looked like he couldn't care less, seemingly busy with the trinckets he found stashed there, but Theo could practically feel his curiousity burning through his veins.

Typical. 

He paused his humming, "Vegas," he smirked at the man, "City of Sins, no better place to be." 

He couldn't trust Bill with the truth. Not with the whole gravity of it anyway. The man was flakey - always had been. Its how he'd come to be in Theo's debt in the first place. He and Tess had run a job for him, only to be double crossed by Bill when he sang like a canary to a higher bidder. After the smoke cleared Theo had wanted to rip the man's throat out - hell, he almost did - when Tess had stopped him. He thinks it was because she pitied the lonesome man, he didn't get why though. Bill was doing perfectly fine on his own. He was surviving. Looking out for himself - because nobody else will. Isn't it better to be alone than to be abandoned by others and feeling lonely?

When Bill opened his mouth to ask something else Theo just resumed his whistling, a little louder this time to shut the man up. 

 

_The devil's going to make me a free man,_

_The devil's going to set me free_

Something upstairs fell over with a loud thud followed by Liam's startled squawk. Theo rolled his eyes.

"Baby Wolf let's get a move on!" 

"Don't call me that!"

Theo grinned and dug through a drawer of his own, "Well looky here," he held up a box of cigars, still sealed. "Don't mind if I do..."

He put one between his lips and lit it with his lighter. Liam eyed him in disgust.

"What?" He mumbled around the cigar.

"Smoking kills," Liam said this as if it was new information and not printed on the box Theo was still holding.

"So does the world," he shrugged and pushed the box into his pocket. 

He took a deep drag and let the smoke lick from his nostrils.

_The devil's going to make me a free man_

_The devil's going to set me free_

* * *

Liam coughed and wafted at the cloud of smoke Theo obnoxiosly blew over his shoulder in Liam'a face. At least the cigars didn't smell bad, kind of like cherries actually. Must be an expensive brand.

"Over there at the Daly Garage," Bill pointed to a broken sign that Liam supposed had read Daly once upon a time.

"That's where the parts are? A garage?" Theo blew another puff at Liam who punched him in the arm, "Very original, Bill..." he rubbed the spot Liam had just punched.

"What are the parts we need exactly?" Liam asked as he stepped up to Bill's side. 

Bill eyed him and huffed, "Don' get so close to me Li-auhm. Still don' like you." 

Liam narrowed his eyes at the man and took a step back before trying again, "What parts do we need?" His claws dug into his palms, drawing blood.

"An engine."

Theo and Liam both waited for the rest of the list to follow. Liam gaped when Bill didn't add anything else, "That's it? Just an engine?"

"Mm-Hmmm!" 

Theo's humming picked up again and made Liam clench his fists tighter, the tune was driving him mad by now. 

"We came all this way... for just the engine?"

Bill looked him up and down in disapproval before turning to Theo, "Is there somethin' wrong with him? He seems slow."

Theo hacked a dry laugh, "Tell me about it!"

Liam growled at him and Theo just glared back. Bill started his wobbely pace toward the garage and Liam was about to follow when he felt a hand on his wrist. 

"You shouldn't do that..." Theo murmured as he opened Liam's clenched fist. He inspected the small cuts from the beta's claws and drew some of his pain until they healed, leaving nothing but smears of blood on his palm.

"Why not?" he questioned.

Theo shrugged and met his eyes, "Don't like to see you hurt yourself..."

Liam swallowed," Says the smoker," he pointed out and Theo chuckled, dropping Liam's wrist.

"Let's go Baby Wolf," his humming drowned out the little growl Liam gave at the nickname.

* * *

 Theo just hummed his song, trying to stay calm. If he stopped humming he'd hear Liam's repeated whisper of  _The Sun, The Moon, The Truth_ and that would do the opposite of calming him.

 

_Another hard day, no water, no rest_

_I saw my chance so I got him at last_

_I took his six shooter, put two in his chest_

_He'll never say a word no more_

 

He flicked the butt of his cigar away and leveled Bill with a look, "Where is the engine Bill?"

"The Hell if I know! It was right 'ere!" He motioned to the empty hood of the car sitting in the garage, its ass lifted half way by a jack.

"Uh-huh," Theo nodded and closed his eyes as he felt his own patience threaten to slip.

 

_Oh, he'll never say a word no more_

_The devil got him good for sure_

 

"So if you took a wild guess, where is it now?"

"Ah- Stolen?" Bill shrugged.

That did it, Theo snapped. He slammed clawed hands on the hood of the car, making it shut with a smack. The rusty frame of the car creaked as he leant his weight on it. He saw Bill flinch. Good.

"Stolen  _by who Bill?!_ There's no one in this town but you!"

Liam moved to Theo's side, squaring his shoulders ready to defend the chimera in case there was a fight. Like he'll need it! 

Bill opened his mouth to reply but was silenced by a few far off sounding screeches of Clickers. 

"We ain't got the time for this, we need to go!" Bill reasoned as he held up his hands.

Theo just growled at him, letting his eyes flash gold. 

"Theo, we need to go!" Liam tugged at his arm and Theo jerked his arm away. 

"Fine!"

 

_Ain't got no place to call a home_

_Only chains and broken bones_

_Ain't got no place to call a home_

_So come on Lord, won't you take me now?_

* * *

Liam rested his head between his knees, "That was close!" 

They'd made a narrow escape into a vacant house. The place was a mess and Liam wondered briefly if they'd be safer out on the streets than in here - the roof looked ready to collapse as rot ate at the wooden frame. There was a rotten smell that made his nose wrinkle. The wood smelt musty from the moss that grew on the floors and crept onto wallpaper - what is that, was it supposed to be white with blue flowers ; yellow with grey flowers? Liam couldn't tell.

Theo slammed Bill against the wall and cut off Liam's examination of it. He pressed his claws to the base of the man's neck, drawing blood.

"Th-eo!" Bill gasped for breath so Theo loosened his grip a little.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't rip you to shreds right now..." Theo's menacing growl sent a shiver through Liam's spine. Suddenly he was reminded of the ruthless murderous pre-Hell Theo that had scared the shit out of him.

"Theo, stop it!" He moved to his feet and bared his fangs at the chimera in a warning. 

"Really, Liam?  _Really?_ " he snarled at the beta and slammed Bill into the wall again, to prove his point - he won't stop.

"I won't let you kill him!" Liam stalked in a small circle.

"Theo, listen to the kid! I beg you! Let me g-" Bill stopped mid sentence and stared at something beyond the beta's head.

Liam and Theo followed his gaze to see the decaying corpse of a man hanging from the ceiling fan. 

"Frank?" Bill asked in a small voice and his sadness filled the air. Theo let him go, anger forgotten for the moment.

"Whose Frank?" Liam asked and flinched when he realized the man must've been responsible for the rotting smell in the house.

"He was my partner," Bill filled him in.

_Oh, so Frank was to Bill what Tess had been to Theo..._

"Fucking asshole left me 'ere alone!" Bill yelled at the corpse angrily but Liam still smelt his sadness radiating from him.

He felt a soft hand on his shoulder and faced Theo.

"C'mon, give him some time to grieve."

_You didn't take the time to grieve for Tess..._

* * *

 

They had found small lanterns that were now lit with a small flame, casting an eery glow across the skeleton of a house. Bill had left to bury Frank and Theo had let him go. No way Bill could make it back to his place without their help and he knew better than to try and run from Theo.

Theo searched the small house for useful items. There wasn't much, just some cutlery and expired medicine that would have no desired effect anymore. Theo found a lone razorblade which he stuffed into his pocket - you never know - and manouvered himself in the small bathroom so that he could see himself in the mirror.

Wow. He looked like shit. He sighed and leaned his head on the cool aurface of the mirror. Algea was growing from the sink.

 

_Ain't got no place to call a home_

_Only chains and broken bones_

_Ain't got no place to call a home_

_So come on Lord, what you waiting for?_

 

He found a single sheet of paper on a dest in a room he assumed was Frank's bedroom. His eyes skimmed over the page and the crooked handwriting. He sighed before stuffing the paper into his pocket as well. He trudged down the stairs back to where Liam was sitting on a musty sofa. He whistled lowly as he sat down on the ground at the beta's feet.

 

_Oh, the devil's going to make me a free man_

_The devil's going to set me free_

 

"What song is that?" Liam asked. His voice sounded empty. Was it because he saw Theo almost kill a man in cold blood, or because of the body that had been strung up above their heads a few hours ago? Theo couldn't be sure.

"Broken bones by Kaleo..." 

The beta shrugged, "Don't know it."

"I'm not surprised, a little dark for your taste." Theo hummed more quietly.

"Do you only know the tune or do you know the words too?" 

"I know them," he quirked a brow at the beta, "but I'm not crazy enough to sing them to you - yet..."

Liam cracked a small smile that disappeared a split second later, "Too bad, I'm feeling pretty dark right now."

"Is it because of... what I almost did? To Bill?"

"No, yes? I don't know..." he sighed and rested his face in his hands.

Theo felt guilt gnawing at his insides. He didn't feel bad for almost killing Bill, he felt bad that he'd made Liam upset.

"Sorry..." he muttered quietly.

Liam looked at him for several moments before saying, "Get on the sofa, you need to sleep."

Theo groaned at this because he knew Liam was right, but he just wasn't ready. Will he ever be?

"C'mon Theo, please? Bill's not here in case you have a nightmare - so he won't see." Theo still looked uncertian so he added, "I'll wake you when it happens."

Theo nodded grimly and settled onto the sofa with his feet on Liam's lap. He closed his eyes and continued to hum himself to sleep.

* * *

 Liam must've fallen asleep too sometime during the night, because he was woken up by small whimpers. It was already dawn.

He opened his eyes and studied Theo's face carefully. He saw it twitch slightly and Theo's body jerked as he gave another pained whimper.

_He's having a nightmare..._

"Theo?" He shook the chimera's foot rhat was still on his lap. Theo didn't respond and just jerked again, eyes moving wildly behind closed lids. 

The sharp scent of fear and utter terror reached Liam's nose a moment before he heard Theo's thundering heartbeat.

"Theo?" Liam moved to shake his shoulders. "C'mon man, wake up!" 

Theo just kept thrasing around.

"Theo!" Liam patted his cheek. The skin felt clammy to the touch.

"Its okay you don't have to stop..." he said barely above a whisper.

Liam blinked at him in confusion. Then his heart plummeted to his somach. 

Theo's erratic heartbeat kept beating faster and fasted and ... if stopped.

"THEO!" Liam felt terror rip through him. A moment later Theo bolted upright, almost hitting their foreheads in the process.

Liam gasped in relief and Theo gripped his shirt tightly, right over his heart. The scent of fear still radiating from him.

"Theo?" Liam gently pried his hand away from his chest, "You with me?"

Theo blinked at him a couple of times as he tried ro calm his heartbeat. It took a while before he nodded. The hand Liam still gripped was trembling.

"Man, you scared the shit out of me! I knew they were bad - or well I guessed they were... b-but your heart stopped!"

Theo's fear scent mingled with his fresh guilt scent, "Yeah, I'm sorry I should've warned you..."

"Why did it stop? I thought you had a heartattack or or-" 

_Or that I'd lost you..._

"It happens when she takes my - her heart back..."

Liam felt dispair at the words, "Every time?"

Theo just nodded. 

A moment later Bill entered from the backdoor, "You'll never guess what I found in the garden shed!"

* * *

They were back at Bill's place by midday. Turns out it had been Frank who stole the engine from Bill.

While Bill fixed a truck for them Liam quickly used the time to sift through some of the man's heaps and heaps of belongings.

Theo was taking a shower. Liam had already experienced the cold water earlier and pitied him a bit. At least they'd shaved and cut their hair with an actual clipper this time.

By that dusk they were ready to leave. Bags full of provisions already in the car. The battery was dead so Liam sat behind the wheel as he waited for Theo and Bill to push so he could start it. 

He eyed them in the rearview mirror when he wondered what was taking so long.

"Bill, I found something at Frank's place... thought you should have it," Theo handed Bill a paper that he read quietly before cursing.

"Son of a bitch..." Bill crumpled the paper and stuffed it into his jacket.

"Guess he didn't want to become infected so he - yeah..."

"Still damned selfish!"

"Bill-"

"We're even now, Theo. Don't come back to my town."

The chimera nodded and they pushed the truck to life. Liam slid into the passanger seat as Theo got behind the wheel, slamming the door shut.

"That's it? No goodbye?" He frowned at Bill's figure in the mirror as it got smaller and smaller.

"No, that was goodbye..." 

Liam thought for a moment before pulling a mixed tape from his stash for his walkman. He slid it into the slot above the radio wordlessly.

Theo eyed him, "Where did you get that?"

Liam swallowed thickly, his voice came out a little hoarse, "Mason..."

His finger hovered over the play button. This will be the first time he shared his best friends last gift to him with anyone. He pressed play.

A country tune filtered from the speakers and they both winced. Liam skipped the song and settled on one he didn't know but it sounded roadtrippy enough.

He sank back in his seat and saw the soft smile Theo had on his lips. Just the previous day he'd been craving music...

 

 


	13. Rearview Town

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song at the end of the flashback is called Rearview Town by Jason Aldean. Listen to the song to enjoy the full experience ;)

The tires rolling across the long stretch of tar road, making a steady buzz of white noise that made Theo slightly groggy, lulling him into a wistfull state. Another one of Liam's tapes was playing softly from the speakers, volume so low the tune almost disappeared into the background noise.

Said beta was currently splayed into an awkward position in the passanger seat, asleep. The side of his face was pressed to the window making his breath puff a misty cloud onto the shiny glass surface in a steady rythm. He looked incredibly uncomfortable, making Theo's lips curl upward in amusement. He could just imagine the string of complaints the beta will have when he wakes up with a stiff neck.

They'd been driving for a few days already, heading to Jackson - the name of the town Theo knew Braeden's last whereabouts pointed to. He felt confident that he'll find her somewhere in the general area - and then that was that. Braeden used to be a Firefly, she'd know where to find them and she'd be able to deliver Liam to them and that would conclude their journey.

He was aware of the slight guilt threatening to slip over the emotional barriers he'd set up in his head a long time ago. He pushed it aside immediatly. There was no need for that. Emotions will only cloud his judgement, it was best to not feel them at all. It was for the best in the end, Braeden knew where the Fireflies were, she would get Liam there in the safest possible way and the group of rebels would recognize her so there would be no hiccups. She'd protect Liam better than Theo was able to. Besides, this was a job. One that needs to be finished, the sooner the better.

If he was honest with himself he wasn't even sure why he was still running the gig - there was no pay or reward in the end for him. So why was he doing it? This wasn't about granting Tess's last wish, about finding somewhere to belong, about finding a pack. This wasn't about Liam or even saving mankind - Theo couldn't care less about the fate of humanity. So why?

Sun glinted off the hood of the truck, sending a stray ray into his face. He rubbed at his eyes tiredly and slipped the sunglasses from where they were resting on his head, sighing as they shielded his stinging eyes. 

Driving calmed him. Or at least he was much calmer now than he'd been the last time he'd driven a vehicle. It had been his own lived in Toyota truck back then, the only possession he'd had left. He truely had reaped what he'd sowed back then, maybe he still was. Memories from his last day in Beacon Hills flooded through the cracks in his emotional walls, filtering into unwanted vivid images.

* * *

 

_A few years ago in Beacon Hills_

Theo gripped the wheel of his beloved truck in a vice grip. The smell of fresh blood and sweat flooded his senses, mixing with the stale fear scent he always seemed to carry after a night of nightmares. Beside him Liam inspected his face in the small mirror the truck's roof provided for him. He prodded at a cut on his cheek and plucked a shard of glass from the soft flesh.

"Ouch..." he muttered.

Liam's silly ringtone cut the tense silence, the ringing only served to irritate Theo even more. The night had been a disaster, not that it was surprising. What was surprising was that Theo had allowed himself to be caught up in it - in the Pack's drama - again. What the fuck was wrong with him?

Liam's voice boomed overly loud in the truck as he spoke on the phone, "Yeah. Uh-huh, no. Yeah. No we got it - don't worry Scott. I handled it! Really! If I need you I'll call you... yeah I promise," Liam paused and glanced at the chimera, "On my way home. With Theo, he's driving me. Wh-what? No! No its fine... yeah okay, will do... yeah, okay. Bye..." 

The silence was even heavier by the end of the call and Theo clenched his hands even tighter, claws nicking the leather on the wheel. 

Liam cleared his throat, "So, uh Scott called..."

"Mm-hmm..."

"He just wanted to check in and ... uh, yeah..."

"Mm-hmm..."

The rest of the drive passed in silence and Theo pulled up to Liam's house with a wave of relief, eager to free himself from the awkward air that tightened around his windpipe.

Liam had other ideas though and made no move to get out.

"Thank you...," the beta whispered after a while. Theo just tilted his head to lock eyes with the beta but said nothing, "F-For the ride. And for ... coming tonight. For helping..." Liam frowned, "Why do you?"

Theo wasn't in the mood for this at all so he decided to play dumb in the hopes to throw the beta off, "Why do I what?"

"Help me?" The words were barely a whisper, yet all too loud. Theo sighed heavily and rested his head on the steering wheel.

"I've asked you before, this time I'm not leaving without an answer," he stated firmly.

"What do you want from me Liam?" Theo asked in defeat.

"The truth, why?" The beta stated calmly.

Theo felt anger shimmer under his skin, "Does it matter?" he spat back, "I'm here aren't I? I answer the damn phone when you call, I show up, I fight with you,  _for you!"_

Liam growled faintly and the scent of his anger spiked, "I know that you asshole! I want to know  _why?"_

Theo laughed darkly, "You tell me Liam? Cause I don't have a fucking clue!"

"That's a lie!" 

"No it's not," he snarled lowly.

"You can control your heartbeat all you want - but I know you, and I know you're lying!"

Theo snapped. 

He needed air, desperately. Or else he might end up doing something he'd regret.

He got out of the truck swiftly and slammed the door. He paced in a small circle as he raked his hands through his messy hair. He heard another slam of the truck door and Liam was standing opposite him, eyes glowing and chest heaving.

"Theo you-"

"You think you know me Liam? Who the fuck do you think you are?" He laughed a bit hysterically, "What gives you the right to assume that you know anything about me?!"

Liam reeled back slightly, "Oh, I know you. You are a manipulative asshole! So why the fuck are you helping me? What do you want?!" Liam inwardly cringed at his harsh words, especially when Theo flinched. He felt bad immediatly, but his IED had won once more.

"That's what you think? You think I'm doing this for personal gain?" Theo sounded a bit hollow and Liam saw his eyes flash in hurt before the chimera turned away and stalked to his truck.

"W-Wait! Theo! Where are you going?!"

"Goodnight Liam."

Liam felt his chest catch in panic.  _Liam,_ not one of the annoying nicknames Theo usually called him.

"I didn't mean it like that - hey!" He caught the truck door as Theo flung it open and climbed into the driver seat. He refused to let go, if he did Theo would leave.

"Liam, let go." 

"No! Are you mad at me now? I'm sor-"

Theo cut him off with a wave of his hand, "No, I'm not mad. But I am tired, so let go of the door."

Liam reluctantly let go and Theo slammed it shut. He peered at the chimera from the open window, trying to read his expression.

"Are we okay?" He asked softly.

Theo sighed heavily and started the truck before replying in an equally soft voice, "Yeah, we're okay..."

Before Liam could say something else the boy pulled out of the driveway and left. Theo had seen Liam watch him go from his rearview mirror, drove until he became a speck and disappeared all together.

He kept driving. 

Passed the school, passed the lacrosse fields, passed homes with happy families enoying dinner together, passed the preserve. And finally passed the county line.

 

_Wipe the footprints off my dash_

_Tore up those sun-faded photographs_

_Threw 'em in the wind ya'll can have it back_

_I'm outta here_

 

_I stuck my middle finger up in the sky_

_Flipped off that "ya'll come back" sign_

_Looked in the mirror one last time_

_And watched it disappear_

 

_It ain't nothin' but a rearview town_

_Broken hearts and rusted plows_

_Roots ripped right up out of the ground_

_Never thought I'd ever leave it_

 

_It ain't nothing what it used to be_

_Population minus me_

_On the other side of that dust cloud_

_Ain't nothin' but a rearview town_

 

_It ain't nothing but yesterday_

_One less truck rollin' down Main_

_Ain't nothing left to say_

 

_Ain't nothin' what it used to be_

_Population minus me_

_On the other side of that dust cloud_

_Ain't nothing but a rearview town_

* * *

That had been the day he'd left Beacon Hills for good. Left Liam behind for good - or so he'd thought. It had been weeks before the Outbreak. It hurt now to know that Liam had only gone looking for him when the population fled Beacon Hills, but he's not surprised. Back then they only remembered his name when there was trouble - when he knew something or could do something to save their asses yet again. He wasn't part of the pack, so why would they have noticed his absence?

Here he was again, helping Liam. He was bitter about it but knew he wouldn't have been able to refuse even though he protested so vocally, he'd always help Liam. Why? 

He still didn't know...

A couple of hours passed in a blur and Theo found himself driving by man made structures. The buildings grew more dense as the miles passed and it became apparent that they were driving on what used to be a highway. Of which town, Theo didn't know. Broken and abandoned cars started littering the streets until the chimera was forces to stop the car.

"Fuck. Isn't this great?" He muttered darkly.

"Wha?" Liam pulled himself upright and wiped a stray drop of drool from his chin, "Ouch, my neck hurts..." he grumbled a moment later.

"The road's blocked," Theo supplied and jerked his head in the direction of the blockage - cars and trucks were mashed together, cutting of the main road. The road they were supposed to follow straight out of town.

"What now?"

Theo just shook his head indecisively. He saw another bend in the road leading deeper into the city. He didn't like that idea, he'd wanted to cut straight through it. The city was huge, probably had thousands of citizens - which meant thousands of potential Infected. 

"Can we take that road?" Liam pointed toward the one that veered into the city.

"We don't have a choice," Theo sighed heavily, "We can't leave the truck to go on foot..."

Hesitantly he reversed a bit before turning down the slipway.

* * *

 The fact that the city had been totally abandoned only made Theo's unease blossom, they made slow progress as the truck crept down empty streets. Firefly propaganda was prayed onto the vacant buildings, windows broken and stores ransacked. The smell of drains and perished food filled his nose and made his eyes sting. 

"This is weird..." he mumbled as they passed a crossroad.

"Yeah, I know what you mean... its too... empty and quiet..." Liam vocalized what Theo had been thinking.

A city this size wasn't supposed to be empty.

They rolled by a few more streets when a man wobbled into the middle of the road suddenly. He was clutching at his stomach where a swell of red stained his shirt. He held up a bloody hand and called out to them, "Help me! Please help me!"

Theo's grip tightened around the wheel. 

"He needs help!" The beta's ever present bravado made Theo's eyes urge to roll, but he didn't take his eyes from the man on the road.

"PLEASE!" the man wailed loudly.

Theo shifted the car into gear.

"Theo?" Liam asked in confusion.

"Hold on."

"B-But what about the guy?!"

Theo reffed the truck and the tires spun on the tar with a screech, "He ain't even hurt..." With that Theo pressed the gas pedal down all the way and hurtled the truck at the man in the street. 

The man adruptly dropped his wounded act and pulled a pistol from his jacket. Shots fired into the windshield and bullets burried themselves in the leather of the backseat. More men rushed from their cover and fired at the fast moving vehicle, the truck brutally crushed anyone in its way. Bullets tore through the rubber of their tires and Theo cursed when the truck veered off course and smashed into a convience store window. 

The sound of bullets was muffled by the ringing in his ears for a moment and he felt himself by shaken roughly by the shoulder, "Theo!" Liam's voice pulled him back. 

He kicked at the dented door and sent it flying across the store. He growled lowly as he let his fangs decend and felt his eyes burn golden mold. Liam got out and stood shoulder to shoulder with him, claws ready and jaws agape in a snarl. 

The thugs had seized their fire as they waited for the dust to settle. Theo plucked a shard of glass from the briken driverside window, ignoring the sting it sent up his palm.

"I think we got them!" The front thug barked at his companions.

Dust fell to the floor in a thin layer, covering Theo's sneakers.

The thug crept closer, "Hold up! I think I see something!" He pointed his revolver in wild directions, trying to see. Theo felt the man's eyes lock on his frame, "Oh shit! Move ou-"

The man's words were cut off in a bloody gurgle as the chimera shoved the shard of glass into his neck. Liam roared loudly and all Hell broke loose. 

"Liam, take cover!" 

They huddled behind a toppled vending machine as bullets rapidly flew above their heads. Theo reloaded a discarded pistol, "Play time," he growled before kicking off from the vending machine. As his body skidded over the floor he fired at the targets he could see, causing kneecaps to shatter and loud yells.

He was aware of Liam charging blindly at his own targets, clawing and punching his way through them. Theo almost flinched at the sound of bones breaking as the beta repeatedly punched a man in the face. He got to his feet and moved to help him when a hand from behind grabbed the side of his face and slammed his skull into the wall. 

The small amount of time it took to get over his surprise was efficiently used by his attacker, who kicked the back of his knee and sent him to the floor in front of a broken soda fridge. The man grunted with effort as he tried to push Theo's head down into a protruding piece of glass. Theo stiffened and gritted his teeth, a dangerous snarl rumbling in his chest as he heaved backward. He changed their positions and decapitated the man on the glass he'd intended for the chimera.

A woman took his place quickly and jabbed at him with small blades. He easily dodged and grabbed her by the neck before sinking his fangs into it and tearing out her jugular. He felt warm blood flood his mouth and drip down his chin as he pushed the body away from him. He roared loudly from blood dripping jaws.

Somewhere beyond the crashed truck he heard Liam growl and several painful grunts followed as the beta took down the thugs as he went. Silence fell and Theo rounded the truck he saw Liam panting heavily over unconcious bodies. Golden eyes snapped to his own and slowly turned blue once more.

"Are you okay?" Liam asked as he moved toward Theo, stumbling over a fallen body as he went.

"Fine, you?" Theo scanned his body and felt relieved to find it free of serious wounds.

"Fine," Liam echoed, "Who were these guys?" 

Theo shrugged and grabbed their duffel bags from the backseat of the truck, "Thugs. Bandits. They team up to take down others and loot their bodies."

"Yeesh..." Liam toed at an unconcious man with distaste wrinkling his face, "How did you know he wasn't hurt?"

"Had to pick up a few tricks on the way..." Theo shoved Liam's bag into his chest.

"You mean you've done this?" Liam asked in disgust, causing Theo to inwardly cringe.

"C'mon Baby Wolf, looks like we'll be going on foot from here..." 


	14. Why would you care?

"We are so screwed..." Theo muttered under his breath from beside Liam where they were ducking around a corner of a fallen building. A large millitary truck crushed fallen trees and debris under its huge wheels as it slowly crept up and down empty streets.

Liam eyed the bandits trudging after the truck with their guns ready to fire, "How are there so many?" he hissed in the chimera's ear.

"Dunno..." Theo cautiously peered around the corner, checking to see if its safe. "Coast is clear," he stepped into the open.

Liam followed suit without question. Somewhere along their time traveling together Theo had earned his unwavering trust. Liam tried to tell himself that it was because there was no one but Theo to trust, but he knew that was a lie.

"Seriously, are they running the city?" He asked bitterly as he followed Theo along the sidewalk.

"No, I don't think so..." Theo paused thoughtfully, "If they did they wouldn't be armed like this, so I think they're invading."

"Invading whose territory, though?" He voiced Theo's worry openly. 

"Beats me," he shrugs.

"Fireflies?" Liam tried to keep his tone light, but the hope still slipped in.

"No," came Theo's curt reply.

Liam clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, his frustration was blooming in his chest.

"Why don't you ever say anything about them?"

"What makes you think I know anything about them?" Theo shot back with a sidelong glare at Liam.

"Because!" Liam growled out lowly, "You seem to know everything there is to know about a world like this!" 

Theo just snorted so Liam continued.

"You know Braeden used to be a Firefly, why not anymore? Why did she leave?"

"You can ask her when we get there," the chimera rumbled.

"Just tell me something about them! Please I'm going there yet I know practically nothing!" Liam pleaded.

Theo stopped walking with a loud sigh, "Liam, now isn't the time! This city is a deathtrap!"

The beta glared at his scuffed shoes and tried to breathe deeply to soothe his anger. Theo suddenly reached out to gently touch his wrist and the anger disappeared.

"C'mon, lets cut through the Hotel. Yeah?" Theo asked softly and Liam just nodded without looking at him.

* * *

 

Theo blew out a low whistle and Liam couldn't help but wish he also possessed the talent because the sight of the hotel from inside certianly deserved it. 

"Damn..." he muttered as he let his gaze travel through the water damaged building. It had thick red carpets that were soaked, making a slushing sound when stepped on. Large pillars with golden snakes twined around them lifted the second story of the hotel, so thick they were barely rubbled. Dark wooden furniture pieces lay scattered about and Liam could only imagine what one chair had cost back when money still had value. Huge crystal chandeliers adorned the ceiling, glittering diamonds in the dim light.

"Damn..." Theo echoed and adjusted his backpack, "You ever stay at a place like this?"

"No way, too fancy for my taste!" He grinned at the chimera who scoffed.

"I'm sure..." Theo shook his head and tapped at a crystal vase on a nearby wooden shelf with one clawed finger. 

"Okay so we need to get to the other side of the hotel?" Theo nodded a confirmation, "Can't be that hard, right?"

"Let's hope so..." Theo muttered and tilted his head sideways, "Don't hear anything, you?"

"Nope."

"Alright then, let's go."

They made their way up the large staircase which creaked under their weight, the dark wood was soft from water and rot. Liam prayed it would hold his weight, he didn't really feel like taking a plunge into the murky water below. 

As they passed the first floor rooms he glanced inside each spacious one in turn. As fancy as he could expect - large beds with beautiful golden details, broken mirrors and furniture, a TV hanging lopsidedly from the wall and a smaller version of the chamdelier downstairs. A few rooms still had suitcases in them which had been torn open and picked apart for the best pieces. 

"They were just here on holiday when everything changed..." 

Theo hummed in response and started up the second staircase to the next floor. 

Molded paintings hung from walls in a big dining area, they looked classic with unsmiling faces painted onto the canvas. Liam trailed a finger over the dark wood of the table and picked up a piece of silver cutlery which he twirled through his fingers. 

"Don't cut yourself," the chimera's voice surprised him and the butterknife clattered to the floor. He glared at Theo's smug face and was about to reply when he heard a faint rustle from down the hall.

"What was that?" He whispered as he stood shoulder to shoulder with Theo.

Theo didn't respond and they remained silent for several moments, listening. 

Nothing.

"Let's go," Theo nudged him into walking again. 

They entered a kitchen adjacent to the dining area. Pots and pans were stacked haphazardly and porcelian cracked under their boots as they stepped across the floor. Liam's eyes followed a thick red cable to a generator sitting in the corner.

"Hey, Theo! Look!"

He happily trotted over to it and smelled the gasoline that was inside, it was full and ready to run. He gripped the sling and tugged it once, twice before a loud rumble sounded from the now vibrating machine. The light flickered a few times before coming to life.

"Alright," Theo grinned at him.

Back in the hallway light flooded every small detail. Liam could see small flowers on the wallpaper. He curiously flipped through a molded book at one of the bedside tables when Theo's voice caught his attention.

"Well now, looky here!" 

He threw the book onto the bed and went to join Theo at the end of the hallway. He was standing in front of steel double doors of an elevator.

"Just like old times..." Liam murmured.

"Shall we?" 

"You think it still works?"

Theo pressed the button and a rolling sound signalled that the elevator was still working a moment before the doors opened with a ding.

They eyed the inside warily but didn't move to enter.

"Looks... safe enough?" Liam asked and Theo just snorted before stepping inside. 

Liam followed and the doors closed. The small space made memories fly through his mind and he felt slightly squeezed in.

_I'm not dying for you._

_I'm not dying for you, either._

Theo pressed the button to the next floor several times with an irritated and agitated manner, obviously uncomfortable.

"C'mon c'mon!" He muttered as he pressed the button a few more times, "Fuck, we're stuck..." 

"What? No way!" Liam took his own turn in pressing the button frantically.

"I just did that Dumbass!" 

"It worked a moment ago!"

"No shit Sherlock!" 

"Stop being such a dick!"

Theo shoved him so he shoved him back, they battered each other childishly, slapping any skin nearby. 

Theo caught his hands, "S-Stop Liam!"

"You stop it!" 

"I did!"

They looked at each other stupidly for a few minutes, blue eyes meeting green. Liam felt Theo's chest heave against his and realised they were pressed together firmly. The space suddenly felt much smaller and he felt like he was choking on the air. He glanced down the side of Theo's face and reached his lips. The chimera drew a rattled breath between them and shoved Liam back so that his back was hitting the opposite wall.

"Asshole! I thought we were done!"

"We are, look." Theo pointed to the roof through the small emergancy exit at something Liam couldn't see.

"What?" The beta snapped, still a bit irritated.

Wordlessly Theo hoisted himself up and through it.

"Unbelievable..." he muttered and was about to jump when Theo stuck a hand down to him.

"I can do it!" He snapped but still accepted the help, letting the older boy pull him out.

Wires and cables were strung all over their heads. Liam made out a faint light from the next floor above them.

"We need to climb," Theo sighed. 

"Alright," he confidently brushed passed the chimera and shimmied down a small passage that stuck out from the wall. 

_Don't look down._

_Don't look down._

_Don't -_

"Don't look down!" Theo shouted at him with a smirk.

_Infuriating._

Liam used handholds and climbed to the light as quickly as possible. 

"I'm not gonna catch you if you fall!" Theo mocked. The fact that he remained behind on the elevator below the beta contradicted him, but Liam just bit his tongue and heavwd himself onto level ground with a grunt.

"Whoo," he panted and peered down to Theo, "What're you still doing down there then?"

"Yeah yeah, don't let it go to your head!" Theo grumbled and readied himself to jump to the nearest handhold.

The moment his feet left the elevator a loud creaking rang in their ears and instead of coming toward Liam, he was going down as the cables snapped and the elevator plunged downward.

"THEO!"

* * *

 Theo groaned and rolled over so that he could breathe better. 

"THEO!" 

He heard Liam's loud yelling from somewhere far away and forced his eyes open with another groan.

"Theo?!"

He gritted his teeth and grasped at his thigh which was bloody from where a broken bone protruded from the skin and material of his jeans.

"Theo!"

"God damnit," he growled and shouted back as loudly as possible, "I'm okay!"

He forced his eyes to open and saw Liam's head pop over the edge of the floor where he was safely perched. 

"Hold on! I'm coming down!" 

"N-No!" He hurriedly cut the beta off, "Stay there! I'll come to you."

He rolled into a sitting position and cursed at the sight of his leg. The flesh was bright and pink but already knitting together.

"No I-"

"Stay there, Liam!"

He could imagine the beta's eyes rolling and the smell of his frustration, "Fine..." he barely heard the reply.

When he was satisfied with his leg he rose to his feet, slightly nauseus.

"I mean it Liam! I'm coming!"

He kicked the rubble of broken elevator parts aside and limped away from the metal heap, he looked around and tried to get his bearings. He was back on the ground floor, obviously. But where was the stairs? This place is too big...

Faint voiced cut through the ringing in his ears and he stilled, thinking about bolting to hide but it was too late.

"Over here!" A man shouted to his companions and aimed his pistol at Theo. 

"Give me a break!" He growled and slammed into the man before the shot could be fired.

Several more men filled the area, surrounding him. He dodged bullets as he fought viciously, taking them by surprise as he tore into flesh with his claws. He swung the limp body of a man in his grip to shield him from a rain of more bullets from a AK 47.

"What the hell is that thing?!" The shooter yelled before Theo knocked him aside with a powerful swipe. 

A rough grip stangled him from behind as a rifle was pressed into his throat to cut off his air supply. He shoved an elbow into his attackers stomach and whirled to slice his throat with deadly accuracy.

A bullet tore through his shoulder and Theo grunted in pain as the impact made him stumble a few steps. He steadied himself and roared angrily at the two remaining men.

"Fu-" Theo's claws silenced the cry and he kicked the man's face with his boot, feeling bones crush beneath it as the body was kicked into the remaining man, sending him to the floor where Theo stepped on his neck to break it.

The silence was opposing compared to the gunfire and shouts and Theo leaned against the wall to catch his breath. He prodded at his shoulder wound. The bullet had gone straight through leaving the flesh already healing. Satisfied he dropped his hand and surveyed his kill with a snort.

He saw a perch overhead that would lead him to the second floor if he could climb it. It would be much quicker than the stairs... He made his choice and went to the wall, splashing through puddles of murky water as he went. He placed a palm onto the soft wood before plunging his claws in to begin his accent. The movement tugged at his still healing shoulder and sent a fresh trickle of blood down his torso. He ignored the sting and continued to climb.

He reached for the top with a quivering hand and his face was met by a boot. A moment later he fell back onto the floor, winded. He registared a figure jumping from the perch landing somewhere nearby but didn't catch his breath in time to defend himself. Rough hands seized him by his shoulders, a finger twisted cruelly in the wound on his shoulder. He would've yelled, but his face was already plunged into the murky water in an exceptionally deep puddle.

He thrashed wildly as he tried to break the man's grip and gulp some much needed air but a heavy weight settled on his back. The man pressed a boot down between his shoulder blades and grabbed him by the hair, forcing his head deeper. 

His lungs started to burn and he bucked back and was able to draw a quick breath before his attacker recovered and pushed him under again. His glowing eyes spotted a pistol lying in the murky water below the surface and tried to free his armd from where they were pinned but was only successful in freeing one. He clawed blindly at the man on his back but didn't feel the catch of flesh. He resorted to plunging his arm into the water and reached for the pistol, extending claws toward it.

Too far.

He couldn't reach it.

He gulped a mouthful of water.

Suddenly the weight that was forcing him down was gone and he emerged gasping and coughing up the foul water. He was aware of the fight before him - Liam had tackled his attacker to the floor and was punching him now repeatedly in the face. Theo smelled blood and Liam's rage hit him in waves.

"Li..am," he coughed more water. 

"Liam, stop!" He tried again with a voice hoarse from swallowing water.

Liam didn't stop.

Theo stood on shaky legs and grabbed Liam's fist mid air as he was about to strike again, "LIAM!" he roared.

That got the beta's attention and he turned his head to the chimera who still had a vice grip on his arm, glowing eyes meeting each other.

"Stop, you need to stop." 

Liam's anger slowly drained and his fist became a limp hand in Theo's grip. He didn't let go and instead pulled Liam to his feet. 

The beta instantly hugged him.

Theo stiffened immediatly, so Liam let go just as fast.

"You okay?" Liam asked looking at the ground.

"Yeah, you?" He inspected Liam over to find no serious injuries. The beta just nodded and stared at the beaten thug behind Theo. 

Theo could hear his heartbeat, but with no one to help him the man will die. And there was no help, no hospital, no ambulance to call. He was going to die and it would've been Liam who'd killed him to save Theo, and he couldn't have that.

So Theo walked up to the man and kneeled by him. The man was already unconcious and his face was a mess. Theo took the deformity between his hands and broke the man's neck. 

Liam sucked in a huge breath at the loud snap.

Suddenly Theo felt angry - very angry. 

He turned to Liam who's eyes had widened since he had smelt Theo's anger already.

"What the HELL Liam? I told you to stay there! Why can't you just listen to me?!"

Liam stared at him in utter disbelief and his own anger bubbled beneath the surface. 

"What the  _fuck_ Theo?! What's wrong with you! I just saved your life!"

"And you could've gotten hurt yourself, and you almost killed someone Liam!"

"You kill all the time, why would you care if I did?"

"I wouldn't!" Theo snapped but Liam heard the skip in his heartbeat. He opened his mouth to tell him just that when Theo continued, "But you would! And you don't deserve to have that on your conciouns!"

Theo turned and went to find those goddamned stairs and Liam shouted, "What? No thanks for saving my ass Liam? No it was either him or me so gee thanks for choosing to save my life?" 

Theo just muttered angry curses under his breath and kept going. Liam reluctantly followed.


	16. We must be Killers

Liam was still angry, practicaly steaming from the ears. He'd resorted to ignoring Theo completely and they hadn't talked since the incident in the hotel.

They were currently making their way through store backdoors or broken windows, moving to the next and the next through the alleyway to avoid the main streets that had thugs moving by now and again.

They were in a coffee shop when they heard the pounding of sneakers on tar and both instinctively ducked. The broken window above provided a clear view of what was happening as they cautiously peeked out. 

It was a young woman and a man, dressed in simple clothes, not armed at all. And they were running from a 4x4 truck with the bandits chasing them down. The truck cut them off.

"Please!" The woman wailed before being shot in the head. The man didn't have time to react before he had a bullet between his eyes.

Theo felt Liam stiffen and grabbed onto the back of his neck, running his thumb in soothing motions over the betas neck, feeling his racing pulse beneath it.

"Calm down, there's nothing you could've done," he whispered softly into the beta's ear but not removing his eyes from the bandits. 

They kicked at the bodies and patted them down, "Nothing!" one shouted and spit on the ground in disgust. Another removed the dead man's boots and inspected them before tossing them aside, "Shitty boots too! Let's go!"

After the truck sped down the street Liam ripped himself from the chimera's grip and stood with his hand on his knees, "Oh God, I think I'm gonna be sick..." 

Theo barely had enough time to move before Liam hurled at their feet, narrowly missibg his boots. Theo curled his nose at the pungent scents - vomit, dispair, fear and of course anger. 

"They just killed them - for fucking shoes?!" Liam choked as he wiped at his mouth. 

"Liam..." Theo didn't know what to say. What was there to say after all? Nothing. So he opted for placing a hand on Liam's back and drawing soothing circles with his palm. He felt the rise and fall of the beta's fast breathes.

"You can't save everyone Liam."

Liam shook his head, "Scott would've..."

Theo frowned and grabbed Liam's chin to force his gaze to him, "You're not Scott."

Liam's expression hardened and he shoved Theo's shoulders. Theo didn't move an inch which only angered him further so he pushed him again, harder. He was earned with more resistance and gave a frustrated growl.

"Stop it!" Theo snapped as he dodged the next shove, "We don't have time for this, keep your head Liam!"

Liam growled some more but i stead of shoving Theo again he ran his hands through his hair in frustration and pulled at the locks.

Theo fought the instinct to make Liam stop and just scoffed, "Great, make yourself bald, just keep moving."

* * *

 

Liam glared at Theo's back, willing him to catch on fire. Unfortunately it didn't work.

_He's fucking unbelievable! I saved his life and he's mad?! What the actual fuck?_

He clenched his fists and felt his claws bite into his palms. Theo probably smelt the blood because he huffed in irritation but didn't turn around.

_He didn't even care about those people dying. We could've stopped them._ _I could've saved them._

_Right?_

He already knew the answer. As much as he hated Theo for saying it, he wasn't Scott. He wasn't a True Alpha. He didn't even have a pack anymore. 

_Am I an Omega?_

That's what a packless wolf is called, right? A lone wolf. And Liam had never felt more alone in his life.

* * *

 

Theo was aware of Liam's emotional termoil behind him. It was distracting. He couldn't afford distractions or emotions at this point. He couldn't deal with this, he wasn't supposed to have to deal with this in the first place.

_Does he hate me?_

Theo dismissed the thought, of course Liam hates him. Theo was still Theo. 

Theo fucking Raeken.

He was just as bad as the Infected who caused all this - worse even. 

He lost track of the thought when he smelled it - decay. He halted adruptly which caused Liam to stumble into him and curse in frustration. 

"What the fuck Theo?"

Theo ignored him and rounded the corner to see what caused the scent. His stomach plummeted and he immediatly turned around to ward Liam off, to keep him from seeing.

"What is it?" Liam had picked up op the chimera's hightened heartbeat and anxiety and moved to see what caused this. 

He was met with a solid hand on his shoulder, "Liam, don't."

He frowned at the warning, "Why?"

"You don't want to see this, trust me." Theo insisted with his hand still on the beta's shoulder.

Liam glared him down and shrugged off the unwelcome hand.

"Suit yourself," Theo grumbled and stepped aside reluctantly.

Liam pushed passed him forcefully, letting his shoulder shove Theo's in the process. 

"I'm not a baby, Theo! You don't have to protect-- Oh God..." he threw a hand out to the side blindly to support himself on the wall. His reach came up short and Theo caught his arm instead to steady him.

Liam swallowed the thickness in his throat and willed the dizziness to disappear. When his vision cleared he almost wished it back, because seeing the gruesome sight was much worse.

Four men were strung up in front of them, hanging from nylon rope tied to lamppoles and swaying in the breeze. Their clothing identified them as soldiers, not bandits or fireflies. The rope was cutting into the oale flesh of their exposed necks and there was almost nothing left of their faces. A crow was perched on one man's shoulder and pecked away at the flesh on his face, exposing the stark white bone of his skull underneath. That wasn't the worst part though.

The worst part was the graffiti sprayed onto the wall in crooked letters behind the bodies. It looked so alike to the hundreds they had passed before but while those had inspired hope, this filled Liam with utter dread. 

> _**We warned you** _

Three simple words. Eleven crooked letters painted in crimson red. Signed with the Firefly sigil.

Liam didn't register his knees hitting the ground or Theo calling his name.

 

 


End file.
